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Hiotogr^hic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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n 


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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

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Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

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empreinte. 


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shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  Is 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
•^ymbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
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.nethod: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  6tre 
film^s  d  das  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  6tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  it  est  film6  A  partir 
de  ('angle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


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1 

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5 

6 

JOHN'   IIORUEN,    r.ISHOl'   OF   MOOSOXEE. 

[Fruiik  II  iihntoijriiiili  fuken  n.hoitt  tlw  tiim:  nfliis  consecrntinit.] 


,*". 


f 


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1 


JOHN      HORDEN 


MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


>«i 


^  lifr  on  tln>  ^bor^s  of  Bm^sou's  JSaij 


FiY   TUK 


REV.     A.     R.     BUCKLAND,     M.A. 

AU'llIOl:    I))-     ■'1H1-.    HKKiilG"  IN    MISSIONS" 


FLEMING    H.     REVELL     COMPANY 

NEW    YORK.  CHICAGO         TORONTO 


AND 


Ebc   ^xmtiari   .^cljoal   oXniun 

LONDON,   ENGLAND 


"B 


:S 


% 


♦ 


TO 


■■A 


I 


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MRS.  HORDEN 


FOR    MANY    LONG    YEARS 


THE  COMPANION 


OF 


HER   husband's  missionary  life 


•rf 


1 


■,1, 

■pi- 

I 


NOTE 


w 


For  the  material  contained  in  this  Life  I  am 
indebted  to  Bishop  Horden's  letters,  pnblished  in 
the  Periodicals  and  lleports  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary KSociety,  and  in  the  coluimis  of  the  Record  ; 
to  the  volnnu^,  Forty-two  Years  aiiioiujst  the  Indians 
and  Esl'uiw,  compiled  by  the  Editor  of  the  Coral 
Magazine,  from  letters  addressed  to  her;  to  tlie 
account  of  Bishop  Horden  amongst  the  BrieJ 
SliCtehc.^  of  Church  Missionary  Society  Workers',  and 
to  information  privately  communicated. 

A.  E.  B. 


CONTENTS 


9 


CIlAl'.  l.Af;r; 

I.    A   hoy's   AMlilTIoN       .                .  .  .  .11 

II.    TIIK   DICl'AllTUIlE   FOR   MOO.SONEE  .  .  .20 

III.  FIRST   LABOURS   AMONGST   ESKIMO  AND   INDIANS       .  32 

IV.  "in  journeyings  often"  .  .  .  .42 

V.    ENGLAND   VISITED        .                 .  .  .  .54 

VI.    ()UT-STAT10NS                  .                 .  .  .  .61 

VII.    A   NEW  RESPONSIBILITY            ,  .  ,  .08 

VIII,    LEAVES  FROM   BISIIOl'   IIORDEN's   DIARY          .  .  77 

IX.    YKAUS   OF   TRIAL           .                 .  .  .  .97 

X.    TO   ENGLAND   FOR   THE   LAST   TIME  .  .  .         110 

XI.    HOME   AGAIN  .                 .                 .  .  .  .         12.5 

XII.    (LOSIXG   S(JENES            .                 .  .  ,  .134 


L18T  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


JOHN   iroilDKX,    nisiioi.  of   M.m)SOXK|.; 
ESKIMO   AVOMAN   AXD   CHILI) 
AN   INDIAN   CHIEF      . 

LOAHINO   CANOE   FOU   A    UlVJa:  JOUIiXJiY 

ESKIMO   MAN  . 

•  > 

YOIIK   FACTORY 
AGED   OREE   MAN 

JWSHOr'.S     COURT,      SCHOOLHOU.SE,     ANi.     TENT,     A 
FORT 

MAIN   STREET,    AV'INNIPF/} 

INDIAN  TRAPPERS        . 

HUNTING   DEER 

'  •  • 

ASCENDING   A   RAPID. 

<'fli;E   CHURCH,    VOIIK    FACTORY 


TAOI-; 

Front  isplece 


AIOOSK 


23 


30 

35 

49 

«7 

(J2 

GO 
79 
91 

115 

121 

l-iii 


JO 


John  Hoeden 


MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


0I-; 
',ce 

23 

30 

jr> 

19 
►7 
2 

9 
9 
I 


4 


CHAPTER  I 


A   J'.OY  S   AMBITION 


A  Gliild's  Resolve  and  a  Lite's  Devotion — John  Horilen  at 
Home  and  at  Seliool — A  Ijook  that  made  a  Missionary — 
Apprentice  Days  and  Work  at  Home — Accepted  for  the 
Mission -Field. 


T    is    liard    to    find    a    healthy    and 

intelligent     boy,     who     does     not, 

sooner  or  later,  make  np  his  mind 

what     he     would     "  like     to     be." 

It    happens    now     and     then     tliat     lie    chooses 

something   unsuitable,  or  th.at  he  has  made  up  his 

mind   under   the  influence  of   a  merely  temporary 

11 


.,3* 


1 2  JOHN  HO R DEN 

interest.  It  happens,  too,  that  ambitions  cannot 
always  be  gratified.  But  these  things  do  not 
keep  the  majority  of  boys  in  each  generation 
from  choosing  or  seekin<j;  to  choose  for  themselves. 

The  missionary-bisliop  wliose  life  will  be  told  in 
this  book  was  one  of  the  boys  who  made  up  their 
minds  early.  He  was  also  one  of  those  who  found 
that  other  people's  views  as  to  his  future  did  not 
agree  with  his  own.  Yet  happily  he  is  to  be  counted 
amongst  the  boys  who,  disappointed  at  first  of  their 
clierished  ambition,  were  afterwards  able  to  realise  it 
in  full.  John  Horden  as  a  child  resolved  that,  God 
willing,  he  would  be  a  missionary.  He  had  at  first 
opposition  and  disappointment  to  face.  But  in  due 
time  his  wish  w^as  granted :  he  lived  and  died  a 
missionary  in  one  of  the  hardest  fields  of  labour 
known  to  tlu;  modern  evanuelist. 

Horden  gives  us  an  example  of  a  lifelong  devotion 
to  ji  single  cause.  This  marks  him  off  at  once  from  a 
large  number  of  the  best-known  workers  in  the  foreign 
mission  field.  William  Carey  was  thirty-three  when 
he  volunteered  to  go  out  as  a  missionary,  and  his 


A  LIFE'S  DEVOTION 


13 


Ri*>u-j)oard  had  borne  the  notice  "  Second-hand  shoes 
houi^ht  and  sold"  before  he  became  a  schoolmaster 
and  preacher.  Adoniram  Jiidson  had  yearned  for 
distinction  in  many  paths,  had  taught  in  a  school,  and 
had  travelled  witli  a  company  of  actors,  before  tlie 
turning-point  in  life  which  saw  his  decision  for  CJod 
and  his  resolve  to  be  a  missionary.  Allen  Gardiner  was 
a  naval  officer,  from  childhood  warmly  interested  in 
tlie  service,  before  he  took  up  missionary  work  in 
Zulrdand,  or  made  tlie  heroic  attempt  which  led  to 
his  death  in  Tierra  del  Fuego.  To  come  to  more 
modern  instances,  Dr.  John  G.  Paton  had  preached 
the  gospel  earnestly  at  home  before  he  was  called  to 
enter  on  his  marvellous  experiences  in  tlie  South 
Seas.  Hannington,  the  martyr-bishop,  was  taken 
from  a  country  parish ;  Alexander  ^lackay,  from 
work  as  an  engineer;  Mr.  Monro,  some  time  head 
of  the  Metropolitan  Police  Force,  from  well-earned 
re^iose  after  an  acti\e  life ;  and  many  others,  whose 
names  the  world  has  not  heard  of,  have  laid 
down  secular  occupations,  in  order  to  work  amongst 
the  heathen  or  Mohammedans  abroad. 


14  JOHN  HO  R  DEN 

Again,  there  are  young  people  who  in  early  life 
make  up  their  minds  whaf.  they  would  "  like  to  be," 
but  discover,  after  a  brief  trial,  tliat  they  have  made 
a  mistake,  and  turn,  more  or  ^ess  readily,  to  something 
else.  Many  a  boy  inspired  by  the  delightful  sea- 
stories  so  popular  witli  every  generation,  has  resolved 
to  be  a  sailor,  and  has  insisted,  against  advice  and 
entreaty,  that  a  sailor  he  will  be.  With  a  good 
many  of  these  a  single  voyage  is  enough.  They 
find  out  with  amazing  promptitude  that  the  one 
thing  for  which  they  are  peculiarly  unfitted  is  the 
sailor's  life.  Happy  are  those  who  discover  such 
mistakes  before  they  have  gone  too  far,  and  are 
saved  the  unhappiness  which  falls  in  life  to  the  lot 
"  of  tlie  round  man  in  a  square  hole."  It  was  other- 
wise with  John  Hordcn.  He  formed  his  resolution 
early  in  life ;  to  it  he  was  always  constant ;  and  in 
the  exercise  of  the  calling  he  had  chosen  he  died  in 
a  green  old  age. 

John  Horden  was  born  at  Exeter  in  1828,  the 
eldest  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Horden.  His  father 
was   a   printer  by   trade,   and   the   family  were  in 


AN  EARL  V  DECISION 


15 


humble  circumstances.  But  the  parents  were 
devout  Christian  people,  and,  despite  their  early 
views  about  the  calling  of  a  missionary,  they  had 
much  to  do  with  the  framing  of  their  son's  career. 

At  seven  years  of  age  John  Horden  entered 
St.  John's  School,  Exeter,  a  charity  the  origin  of 
which  goes  back  to  the  twelfth  century.  When 
Horden  was  a  boy  it  was  a  school  in  which  a  varying 
number  of  orphans  and  others  were  clothed,  educated, 
and  prepared  for  a  useful  life.  There,  too,  he  was 
under  religious  influences,  and  there  John  Horden 
definitely  accepted  Christ  as  his  Saviour.  Some 
observers  look  with  suspicion  upon  all  signs  of 
religious  conviction  in  boys  and  girls.  They  declare 
that  it  is  unnatural,  and  can  only  end  in  disappoint- 
ment. The  theory  is  contradicted  by  many  a 
consistent  hfe  which  began  in  early  childhood  the 
conscious  service  of  God,  and  the  life  of  John  Horden 
is  a  case  in  point.  The  convictions  of  boyhood 
remained  the  convictions  of  his  manhood. 

In  the  Thirties  and  Forties  there  were  not  many 
books    dealing    in    a    popular    way    with    foreign 


1 6  JOHN  HORDEN 

missions.  Such  enterprises  were  loss  numerous, 
were  less  cared  for,  less  known,  less  talked  of,  than 
in  these  days,  when  the  lives  and  work  of  such  men 
as  Livingstone,  Patteson,  Hannington,  Gilmour,  and 
Taton,  have  made  some  sides  of  missionary  work 
familiar  to  "the  man  in  the  street."  But  if  tlie 
books  were  fewer,  they  liad  their  readers.  One  came 
into  the  Imnds  of  Horden,  and,  under  CJod,  decided 
liis  future  for  liim.  It  dealt  witli  India,  and  tlie 
liorrors  of  heathenism  as  tliere  displayed.  Horden 
read  it,  and  decided  upon  his  career  in  life.  He 
would  be  a  missionary,  a  missionary  to  India,  a 
bearer  of  the  glad  tidings  to  those  who  lay  in  the 
grasp  of  the  cruel  superstitions  descril)ed. 

Eesolutions  of  this  kind  are  easily  formed,  and  as 
easily  forgotten.  In  Ilorden's  case  they  were 
cherished.  He  had  not  made  up  his  mind  in  a  fit 
of  exaltation ;  in  everyday  language,  he  "  meant 
business."  Ihit  he  was  not  his  own  master.  There 
was  home  to  think  of,  his  parents  to  consult,  and  his 
father  strongly  opposed  his  plan.  It  would  Ije  easy, 
of  course,  to  condemn  Mr.  Horden  for  standing  in 


FRUITFUL  OPPOSITION 


17 


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tlie  way  of  so  noble  a  decision ;  but  remember  the 
times.  Those  were  not  the  days  in  which  the 
foreign  missionary  was  a  familiar  object.  The 
Church  of  Oiirist  in  our  land  is  still  but  poorly  and 
feebly  doing  its  duty  by  heathendom;  but  it  is  a 
miracle  of  zeal  and  industry  compared  to  what  it 
was  in  the  Thirties  and  Forties.  John  Horden  only 
met  with  the  opposition  which  was  so  general  in  his 
times,  and  lias  always  had  to  be  counted  with  in  one 
way  or  another.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  too,  that  early 
opposition  was  justified  ;  it  ended  in  Horden  becom- 
ing much  better  equipped  for  the  work  of  his  life 
than  if  he  had  from  the  first  entered  on  the  special 
training  for  a  missionary. 

When  John  Horden  left  school  he  was  apprenticed 
to  a  trade,  and,  like  an  honest  Christian  lad,  worked 
at  it  with  intelligence  and  vigour.  The  result  was 
a  readiness  at  manual  labour,  a  skill  in  the  use  of 
tools,  and  a  capacity  for  making  the  best  of  unpro- 
mising material,  which,  in  after  life,  stood  him  in 
better  stead  than  the  regular  course  of  seminary 
training  could  have  done. 


i8  JOHN  HORDEN 

But,  wliilsl  working  witli  liis  luiiids,  he  never 
forgot  his  great  ambition.  In  his  spare  time  he 
plodded  steadily  on  with  his  books,  toiling  at  the 
Greek  and  Latin,  of  which,  if  his  hopes  were  ever  to 
be  realised,  a  knowledge  would  be  demanded.  He 
succeeded  so  far  that,  when  his  apprentice  days 
were  over,  and  tlie  opportunity  came,  he  laid  aside 
manual  labour  and  became  a  schoolmaster.  But 
though  he  did  this  it  was  not  because  he  had  any 
foolish  contempt  for  working  at  a  trade,  for  even  as 
a  bishop  he  was  always  ready  to  take  up  tools 
himself,  and  that  not  as  playthings,  but  for 
practical  ends. 

In  the  meantime  his  spiritual  life,  and  with  it  his 
ambition,  was  fostered  under  the  happiest  influence. 
The  Vicar  of  St.  Thomas's,  Exeter,  encouraged  an 
interest  in  foreign  missions.  In  connection  with  the 
church  there  existed  a  little  group  of  young  men  who 
met  regularly  for  Bil)le  study  and  gave  their  leisure 
to  Christian  work,  llorden  was  not  alone  amonfjst 
them  in  looking  forward  to  a  life  in  the  mission- 
field.     But  until  the  door  should  open,  they  prepared 


ACCEPTED  FOR  SERVICE 


19 


I'ur  the  work  of  evangelists  abroad  by  acting  as 
evangelists  at  home.  It  was  the  way  to  keep 
their  resolution  alive.  It  seems  only  natural  to 
learn  that,  of  this  little  band,  six  eventually  became 
missionaries. 

As  for  Horden,  he  was  no  longer  a  boy  but 
a  man  when,  in  1850,  he  was  able  to  offer  himself 
to  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  He  was 
accepted,  and  although  it  seemed  probable  that  some 
time  would  elapse  before  he  would  be  sent  to  the 
field,  he  had  at  last  draY\rn  within  reach  of  his 
ambition.  Its  actual  realisation  came,  as  a  fact, 
much  sooner  than  he  could  have  ventured  to  hope 
for. 


CHAPTEK  II 


THE  DEPARTURE  FOR  MOOSONEE 


A  Land  of  Roniaucc— Moose  Factory — The  ("all  for  a  Man — Hordon 
Chosen— A  Hasty  Departure  —First  Impressions  of  Hudson's 
l>ay — Moose  and  its  l'eo])le. 


0  many  g'eiieratious  of  English  boys 
the  vast  regions  of  the  Ear  "V^^^st 
have  been  a  land  of  romance. 
To-day,  when  railways  span  the 
continent  of  America  from  Atlantic  to  I'acific, 
when  the  isolated  settlements  of  a  generation 
ago  are  already  largo  towns,  and  when  "  the  noble 
red  man  "  is  threatening  to  become  as  extinct  as  the 
dodo  or  the  great  ank,  that  old  interest  in  the  land 
is  gone.     But,  as  the  continent  has  become  better 

20 


A    VAST  PARISH 


21 


known,  wc  are  tlio  more  uljle  to  realise  its  enormous 
area.     Hnrden,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  went  ont  to 
a  diocese  which  measured  some  1500  miles  from  top 
to  bottom  and  side  to  side,  and  had  some  oOOO  miles 
of  coast.     Yet  it  is  a  mere  corner  of  North  America. 
If  you  look  at  tlie  map  of  that  continent,  you  will 
iiiul  the  great  arm  of  the  sea,  called  Hudson's  l^ay, 
thrusting  itself  far  into  the  land.     Its  south-eastern 
extremity  is  called  James'  I3ay.     Into  this  a  river 
discharges,  and  on  that  river,  on  an  island,  a  few 
miles   from   its   mouth,  stands  a  village   known  as 
Moose  Fort  or  Moose  Factory.    As  its  name  suggests, 
it   is   a   station   of    the    Hudson's    Bay   Company, 
to   which   it   owes   its  existence  and   the  presence 
of  a  small  European  population.     The  post  is  still 
cut   off  from    the   world   by   almost    impenetra])le 
forests,  and  l)y   the  ice-bound  waters  of    the   bay. 
Once  a  year,  in  the  Fifties  and  much  later,  a  ship 
came  from  England  with  stores   and  news;   when 
it   left,    the   door   seemed    again   to   shut   on    the 
outside   world.     The   natives   of  the   regions   were 
Eskimos,  Ohippeways,  Crees,  and  Ojibbeways.    Now 


22 


JOHN  IIORDEN 


the  Viist  iuea,  from  the  Ixu'der  line  of  tlie  United 
States  to  tlie  shores  of  tlie  Arctic  Ocean,  and 
from  ][udsoiVs  r)ay  to  the  racillc  (Viast,  is  dotted 
with  mission-stations :  but  tlien  nuicli  of  the  hind  in 
the  south,  now  open  to  settlers,  was  still  unexplored. 
As  for  Christianity,  thousands  of  Indians  are 
now  living  consistent,  (Jod- fearing  lives,  where 
then  no  missionary  had  so  much  as  preached  the 
AVord. 

]]ut  Moose  Fort  enjoyed  some  privileges  of  its 
own.  The  European  population  included  men  of 
Christian  character,  anu  n  Wesleyan  missionary 
had  worked  amongst  the  natives.  The  field  was 
not,  therefore,  entirely  nncared  for ;  but  little  had 
been  done. 

In  May  1851,  the  Chureli  Missionary  Society 
was  informed  that  the  Wesleyans  were  about  to 
withdraw  from  Moose  n'actory.  There  were  those 
wlio  felt  that  the  position  ought  to  be  occupied, 
and  as  the  Church  Missioiiary  Society  was  extending 
its  work  in  the  north-west,  why  should  it  not 
occupy   this   admirable  centre  upon  the   shores  of 


I 


1 


if 


!','   •■.' 


iM»iMii« 


ESKIMO   WOMAN    AND    (UILD. 


23 


^/  HASTY  DEPARTURE  25 

the   Iliidsoii's  J]iiy?    TIi(3   call  scciniHl  impomtiv.  ; 
it  was  resolved  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

John  Horden's  opiH^rtunity  was  conio.  The 
coniniittee  resolved  to  send  out  a  lay  missionary, 
and  the  offer  of  the  young  Devonshire  schoolmaster 
was  remend.)ered.  He  seemed  to  be  the  very  man 
for  the  post;  l)ut  cou'd  he  go?  If  he  went  at  all, 
he  must  sail  a  married  man,  and  the  one  ship  of 
Ihc  year  was  to  leave  in  two  or  three  weeks. 

r.ut  tlie  genuine  soldier  of  the  cross  is  always 
ready.  On  May  10,  I80I,  Hordcn  received  a  letter 
I'rom  Henry  Venn,  the  honorary  secretary  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  announcing  his  appoint- 
ment to  Moose  Factory.  On  May  24,  Horden  left 
his  work  at  school ;  on  May  25,  he  was  married ;  on 
May  28,  he  left  for  London  on  the  way  to  his  post  in 
the  mission-field. 

Horden  had  not  to  choose  a  wife  witli  the  haste 
wliich  this  statement  might  suggest.  At  the  time 
when  he  first  offered  himself  to  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society  he  became  engaged  to  Miss  Eli/abetli 
Oko,  who  was  not  only  a  member  of  the  same  cojigre- 


i 


26  JOHN  II  OR  DEN 

gation  as  himself,  but  was  filled  with  the  same  desire 
to  be  a  missionary.  She,  too,  had  prepared  for  the 
foreign  field  by  working  at  home.  When  the  call  to 
Moosonee  came,  the  decision  rested  with  lier.  AVith- 
out  hesitation  she  resolved  to  go,  and  the  hasty 
wedding  began  a  married  life  of  singular  happiness 
and  of  long  duration. 

liorden  and  his  wife  joined  their  ship  at  CI  raves- 
end  on  June  ^>,  1851.  The  voyage  out  was  slow  and 
uneventful,  bat  the  time  was  not  wasted.  The 
young  missionary  did  not  believe  in  keeping  his 
message  only  for  Indians  and  Eskimo.  He  acted 
as  cliaplain  wliiLst  on  board  ship,  and  so,  in  his 
missionary  work,  began  that  consistency  of  life 
which,  from  first  to  last,  won  for  him  the  respect 
of  all  who  knew  him.  lie  worked,  moreover,  at  the 
language  he  would  have  to  use,  and,  witli  an  eye  to 
brighteniiig  the  services  with  the  natives,  he  learned 
to  play  tlie  accordion.  ISTor  was  Mrs.  Horden  idle. 
One  of  the  passengers  on  board  came  from  Hudson's 
Vii.y  Territory,  and  in  this  woman  Mrs.  Horden  found 
lier  first  pupil. 


'14- 

I 


;l 


■'I 


LAND  HO! 


27 


On  July  2r.th,  Horden  noted  in  his  diary  their 
arrival  at  the  entrance  of  Hudson's  Bay.  His  own 
words  convey  an  excellent  impression  of  the  land  to 
wliich  he  liad  been  sent: — 


^  "  The  sun  shone  very  brightly  in  the  morning  and 
we  saw  several  large  icebergs.  In  the  afternoon  tlie 
atmosphere  became  very  thick  and  cold ;  all  felt  tliat 
tliey  were  experiencing  the  rigour  of  winter  in  the 
month  of  July.  About  six  the  mist  almost  instan- 
taneously cleared  off,  the  sun  shone  forth,  and  land 
was  visible.  Yes !  we  had  entered  the  straits— Ee- 
solution  ])eing  to  our  right— a  barren,  bleak,  but 
lofty  and  majestic  shore ;  while  on  our  left  lay  an 
immense  field  of  ice,  'extending  many  miles.  We 
passed  thousands  of  pieces  of  every  description  and 
size,  some  resembling  churches,  others  hills,  valleys, 
mountains,  and  houses.  It  was  most  amusino-  to 
hear  the  sailors  give  names  to  the  several  pieces — 
This  is  such  a  head :  that  is  the  luill  of  such  a  vessel 
or  barge,  and  so  fortli." 


% 


t,  If: 


i  i 


28  JOHN  HORDEN 

Hordeii  went  on  to  describe  the  voyage  up  the 
bay,  the  perils  of  which  from  ice  and  fog  and 
tempest  every  year  made  the  adverit  of  the  annual 
ship  a  matter  of  extreme  anxiety.  The  navigation 
of  the  bay,  with  its  slow  progress,  its  demand  for 
unceasing  watchfulness,  its  alternation  of  liopes  and 
disappointment,  its  constant  demand  upon  tlie 
voynger  to  "  endure  hardness " — was,  in  a  way, 
lx)th  a  preparation  for  and  a  figure  of  the  dilliculties 
through  whicli  Horden  would  liave  to  pass  in  his 
spiritual  work  on  tlie  land  Iteforo  liim.  Here,  for 
example,  are  three  entries  from  his  account  of  the 
voyage : — 

"  Avfj.  10. — Surrounded  with  ice,  atmospliere  very 
thick.  It  fell  calm  about  tea,  ami  we  anchored  to  a 
very  large  piece  of  ice,  and  tilled  our  water  tank. 
Tlie  ice  opening,  and  a  good  breeze  springing  up, 
we  got  under  way  about  seven,  sailing  through  very 
thick  ice.  Having  sailed  n  few  miles,  we  were  again 
fast,  and  for  four  hours  gained  nothing. 

''  Av(j.  11. — We  anchored  to  a  large  piece  of  ice  at 


1 


FOOTBALL  ON  THE  ICE 


29 


four  A.:\r.  It  rained  or  snowed  almost  the  whole  day. 
The  wind  blew  very  strongly  but  did  not  open  the 
ice.  Some  of  us  went  on  to  the  piece  to  which  we 
were  fastened.  It  was  about  two  miles  in  circum- 
ference. 

''Aug.  12. — About  tliree  a.m.  we  loosed  from  the  ice, 
and,  having  proceeded  six  miles  in  five  hours  and  a 
half,  we  v/ere  obliged  to  anchor  again,  the  ice  being 
very  close  and  heavy  around  us.  In  the  evening  the 
men  enjoyed  themselves  by  playing  football  on  tlie 
ice,  which  happened  to  be  very  flat." 

The  ship  remained  locked  in  the  ice  for  a  week ; 
tlien  they  were  able  to  make  some  progress,  and  at 
last,  on  August  23,  they  anchored  in  the  outer  Moose 
Iioads,  about  forty  miles  from  the  Fort.  Three  days 
later  Horden  was  at  Moose  Fort,  which,  from  that 
day  until  his  death,  was  the  centre  of  liis  work. 

The  first  sight  of  the  place  and  its  people  left  a 
vivid  impression  on  his  mind.  The  diary,  which 
formed  his  first  letter  to  tlie  Church  Missionary 
Society,  gives  us  a  summary  of  his  impressions : — 


% 


J  ■'! 


30  JOHN  HORDEN 

"  On  reaching  t]i(3  Fort,  wliicli  stands  on  a  ratiier 
large  island,  wigwams,  liouses,  and  inhabitants  began 
to  present  themselves.     We  saw  first  three  Indian 


AN    INHIAN    (HIKF. 

boys,  dressed  in  Ihinnel  coats,  ])laying  on  the  beach, 
then  a  house,  then  nuiny  Indian  wigwams,  and  the 
old  factory  and  stores.  Some  way  beyond,  on  the 
same  side  of  the  river,  stood  a  neat  little  church  with 


THE  PEOPLE  J, 

a  .snitul,le  tow.r,  while  still  farther  on  were  ,i  few 
1  .Klian  tents.    After  di.mer  we  visited  almost  every- 
one  on  the  island,  including  nearly  150  Indians,  all  of 
whom  were  very  glad  to  see  us.     Most  of  tlieir  tents 
are  of  a  poor  description,  but  some  are  superior,  in 
tlio  form  of  marquees.    Most  of  them  were  dirty. 
I'ho  general  clothing  of  the  men  is  a  flannel  coat 
bordered    with    red,   with    trousers    of    the    same 
material ;  some,  however,  have  decent  cloth  coats 
and  trousers.     A  part  of  the  women  wore  gowns, 
others  a  petticoat  with  a  blanket  thrown  ovei"  their 
shoulders. 

"A  contrast,  this,  to  Devonshire!" 


V-4 


CHArTER  III 


FIUST   LAI50URS   AMOXGST   ESKIMO   AND   INDIANS 


Place  aiul  People— Ilordoii's  Training — (,'nt  oft"  from  the  World — 
CJettin.ij;  to  "Work — Learning  Croe — A  Laughable  Blunder — 
A  Visitor  at  ^loose  —  Horden  Ordained  —  A  Man  of  many 
Tasks. 


ORDEN  had  reached  tlie  scene  of  his 
lahoiirs,  and  it  is  time,  therefore,  to 
say  something  more  as  to  the  place 
and  the  people. 
His  missionary  interest  had  heen  first  drawn  out 
towards  the  teeming  millions  of  India.  Rut  ne 
had  been  called  to  an  almost  Arctic  climate,  and 
not  to  a  field  under  the  tropics ;  to  a  few  scattered 
sheep  in  a  veritable  wilderness  rather  than  to 
the  dense  population  of  the  Indian  cities. 

;^2 


V.O 


^  r.ONELY  POST 


)3 


At  Mo,>.sc  Fort  tl,e  European  wa.s  cut  nff  f,.,„„  tl,o 
ontsKle  wodd.    Once  a  yen.-if  „o  aecicle„t  l,a,,i,e,.ed 
-a  «l„p  ca.ue  an,,l  woul.  b„t  so  ,li(,ic„It,  wn.s  uavi,.a- 
fon  that  tI,o,se  who  dope,.,].,!    „po,.   tl,e  ship  for 
supplies  were  never  free  f.on.  anxiety  on  its  hehalf 
Kven  on  that  moving  suhjeet  news  traNelled  slowlv 
One   year   the   .ship  was   held   fast   I,y  ice   in   the 
bay.     The  tidings  readied  Enghmd  before  tliey  were 
k.iown  at  Albany,  a  hundred  miles  fron.  Moose. 

Inland   eommnnications   were    no    less    ditlicult 
Koads  there  were  none.     In  snnnner  the  bireh-bark 
canoe  nude  the  readiest  vehiele.  bnt  eNen  its   nse 
n.eant  n,ueh  har,l  iabonr.     In  winter  the  choiee  lay 
between  the  dog-sleigh   and  the  snow-shoe.     JA.od 
w.s  never  very  plentiful.     The  natives  and  even  the 
Kuropeans  knew  what  scarcity  and  sonietin.es  fan.ine 
■neant.      The   e.xtre.nes    of    temperature    have    an 
alanning  I,. ok  to  those  who  know  only  an  Engli.sl. 
climate.     In  summer  the  heat  nnght  reach  TOOVand 
Lbe  bn,sy  n.os.p.ito  add  it.s  torment  to  the  trials  of 
the  season.     In  winter  the  mercury  would  fall  many 
degrees  below  .era     It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  a 


r, 


hI 


34  JOHN  nORDEN 

iiiissioiiiuy  in  such  Ji  pL'ice  luul  nued  of  pluck  and 
endurtincc.  Horden  had  to  shcplierd  a  vast  region, 
which  n'?aut  occasionallyjournoys  vvliicli  extended  to 
a  thousand  miles  or  more.  He  had  to  camp  out,  to 
share  the  food  of  his  Indians,  to  be  ready  for  any  of 
the  contingencies  wliich  may  befall  the  traveller  in  a 
land  of  wood  and  stream,  where  men  are  few  and 
roads  are  not.  But  the  early  disappointment, 
which  gave  him  a  training  in  manual  labour,  had 
liardened  his  muscles,  and  educated  hand  and  eye. 
It  had  been,  after  all,  the  riglit  way  for  him. 

In  like  manner  his  after  experience  as  school- 
master had  prepared  him  for  the  very  serious  task  of 
teaching  himself  new  languages  and  teaching  others 
the  gospel  story. 

One  advantage  Horden  had  which  does  not  often 
fall  to  the  lot  of  a  pioneer  missionary.  There  were 
Christian  men  and  women  to  meet  him  at  his  coming. 
The  head  of  the  Company's  station  warmly  welcomed 
tlie  young  missionary  and  his  wife.  In  company 
with  the  few  other  Europeans  he  rejoiced  at  the 
advent  of  a  religious  teacher,  alike  for  the  sake  of 


35 


I 


li         /; 


ALREAD  y  AT  HOME 


37 


the  wliite  iiu'ii  and  of  tlio  Iiuliiins.  Of  the  latter, 
too,  soiiio  lew  liad,  iiiuler  tla^  teacliiii''-  of  tlu; 
Wcsleyan  iiiissionary,  Ix'coiiic  di^vout  and  ('oiisi.stciit 
Cliristiaiis.  Tims  irordou  bugaii  his  lire-work  with 
sonio  advantages  on  his  side.  From  one  point  (»f 
view  they  were  especially  useful ;  tliey  enabled  the 
young  missionary  and  his  wife  at  once  to  feel  that 
Moose  was  their  home.  It  is  not  often  that  this  is 
the  case ;  but  with  Ilorden  the  shores  of  Hudson's 
]iay  were  henceforth  home,  and  England  was  but  a 
place  to  visit.  They  lived,  as  he  himself  put  it  a  few 
months  Ijefore  his  death,''  buried  in  the  interminable 
forest,  the  door  of  our  grave  being  opened  but 
seldom."  It  was  hard,  perhaps,  but  he  was  able 
to  add :  "  I  doubt  there  being  many  happier 
conmiunities  than  the  one  to  be  found  where  the 
hand  of  God  has  placed  me  ;  the  wheels  of  our  little 
society  move  smoothly ;  and  with  God  in  our  midst 
we  envy  none  the  advantages  they  possess,  and  are 
contented  with  our  own  diminutive  world." 

Horden  lost  no  time  in  getting  to  work.    When  he 
reached  Moose   there  were  three   or   four  hundred 


Il 


38  JOHN  IIORDEN 

people  ill  llip  pl;ico;  \\<^  visited  (hem  all  within  a 
few  lioms  of  his  arvival.  The  next  and  most  urgent 
task  was  to  learn  Cree,  the  language  used  hy  the 
majority  of  tlie  Indians  within  reach.  ][e  began 
this  systematically,  on  the  day  after  he  reached 
Moose.  With  the  aid  of  a  native  interpreter,  he 
composed  a  short  address,  which  he  read  to  his 
C(jnu:reu'ation  that  same  evenini"-.  So  hard  lid  he 
work  that  in  a  few  short  months  he  could  preach 
without  aid.     And  Cree  is  not  an  easy  Language. 

He  found  it  more  trying  than  Greek  and  Latin, 
possil)ly  because  lie  lacked  the  aids  whicdi  every 
schoolboy  has  for  the  learning  of  these  languages. 
Ihit  his  first  sermon  drew  from  an  Indian  woman 
this  reply :  "  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  words  ;  I  will 
keep  them  to  my  heart."  It  was,  no  doubt,  Horden's 
rapid  progress  with  their  language,  and  his  resolve 
to  become  one  of  themselves,  which  so  soon  gave 
him  a  secure  place  in  their  affections.  In  eight 
months,  to  their  surprise  and  joy,  he  could  preach 
to  them  in  Cree  without  an  interpreter.  But  he 
had,   of  course,   his   difliculties    and   his   blunders. 


ADAM'S  '' PIPES'' 
Omco,  for  axan,,,|,,  |„  ,,,,,  oxj-Iaiui,,.  to  a  claa,  of 
young  nieu  tlic  ston-  of  tl.e  Creation.  "  Clo.I,"  ho 
said,  ".■rcat.Hl  Kvc  ont  of  „„o  of  A.lani's -'"  i,o 
meant  to  say  "riUs,"  |,„(.,  as  the  laughter  of  his 
Iioarers  .showed  liini,  I,o  really  said  "pipes."  J5„t 
tl.at  is  the  kind  of  niLstake  which  every  learuer  is 
likely  to  make. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  assumed   that  Hor.len 
liad  eo,ne  to  a  place  where  a  nn'ssionary's  life  was 
likely  to  he  one  of  ease.     The  more  he  knew  of  the 
people  the  more  he  saw  how  sa,lly  they  needed  the 
gospel   lie   had    come    to   preach.     Crime  of    the 
grossest  cliaraoter  abounded.      Men  made  little   of 
murdering    their    aged    parents    or    their    young 
children,   and    cannibalism   resulted  in    the   timel 
of  famine.     The  European's  life  was  not  always  safe, 
and  his  property  was  the  object  of  attentions  with' 
which   he   would   often    have    willingly   dispensed. 
Hordcn    himself,    however,    had    little    reason    to 
complain  of  the  people.     Indeed,  it  was  their  own 
liking  which   became  the   means   of  keeping  him 
in  their  midst. 


ill] 

■n 


I 


40  JOHN  HORDEN 

It  had  1)0011  tli(3  Society's  plan  t(j  seiul  a  clergynian 
to  Mooso  and  .'dlow  Hordon  to  prepare  for  ordinatiuii 
at  JU'd  Kiver,  iin>ier  the  eye  ol"  the  Bisliop  of 
KdlH'rt's  Jjind.  That  ])laii  was  never  carried  out. 
Instead  of  the  young  missionary  L,^oing  to  the  bishop, 
the  bishop  came  to  liim. 

Jjishop  Anderson  readied  Moose  at  the  end  of  a 
six  weeks'  iournev.  He  had  travelled  1500  miles 
over  lake  and  river  to  reach  this  outlying  post.  He 
had  expected  to  find  a  novice ;  he  found  an  expert. 
Horden  knew  the  people  and  knew  the  language. 
They  were  distressed  at  tlie  bare  thought  of  losing 
him.  AVhat  was  to  be  done?  The  bishop's  good 
sense  solved  the  dilHcnilty.  He  examined  Horden 
carefully,  ordained  him  deacon  and  priest,  left  him 
at  Moose,  and  arranged  tliat  the  other  clergyman 
should  u'o  elsewhere. 

]>ishop  Anderson  had  made  no  mistake.  Horden 
settled  down  with  quiet  enthusiasm  to  his  work. 
Cut  oil"  though  thev  were  from  the  world,  there  was 
variety  of  labour.  In  the  winter  the  ])opulation  of 
the   village   was   small;    but    the   people,   old    and 


MANY  LABOURS  4, 

young,  coukl  be  taught.  Occasionally  them  was 
building  work  to  ho  done,  in  which  llor.len's  manual 
skill  was  of  gre,-,t  use.  And  always  there  was  the 
task  of  translating  the  word  of  ()o,l  i„to  the 
language  of  the  people.  To  this  task  Hordeu  early 
,'ave  his  attention,  and  upon  it  he  was  still  engaged 
in  his  last  months  of  life. 


fe 


.) 


i     I 


(111 


llil    ' 
t 


CHArTElc  IV 


"IN   JOUKNEYIXGS   OFTEN 


A  Winter  Journey— Dogs  and  Snow-Shocs— A  Famine  in  the  Land 
—And  a  Flood— Amongst  the  Eskimo— A  Long  Day's  Work 
—The  lUbh'  for  the  IVople— A  Xew  Trade  Learned— Early 
Fruits. 


X  summer  it  became  possible  to 
travel,  and  then  the  outlying  stations 
called  for  care.  At  distances  vary- 
ing from  50  to  430  miles  from 
Moose  there  were  posts  at  which,  at  certain  seasons, 
bodies  of  Indians  were  to  be  found.  One  of  the 
first  stations  visited  was  Albany,  a  hundred 
miles  north  of  Moose.  His  own  account  gives  a 
vivid  picture  of  tlie  dilliculties  met  by  the  in- 
experienced traveller  : — 

42 


ON  SXO IV-SHOES  43 

"I  started,"  ho  wrote,  "from  Moose  on  Ja.nmry 
5tl.,  1852,  in  a  sleigli  drawn  by  five  dogs  and  ac- 
companied by  two  Indians.  After  riding  eiglit  or 
"i->e  miles  I  walked  for  a  tin>e,  but  found  n.ysclf 
uuable  to  keep  pace  witli  the  dogs.  We  were 
obliged  to  walk  about  two  miles  through  thickly-set 


A   PAIR  OF  SX0W-8H0ES. 

Willows,  in  snow-shoes,  sinking  at  every  step  a  full 
foot  in  the  snow.  Being  unaccustomed  to  this  kind 
of  marching  I  found  it  very  fatiguing,  and,  having 
never  before  placed  snow-shoes  on  my  feet,  had  two 
or  three  falls,  and,  the  snow  being  so  deep,  was 
nnable  to  rise  without  assistance.  Could  you  have 
seen  me  then  in  full  armour,  witli  a  flannel  and  fur 


If 


I 


44  JOHN  HO R DEN 

cap  on  my  liead,  pilot-coat,  scarf,  mittens,  and  snow- 
slioes,  1  little  think  yon  wonld  have  recognised  in 
me  the  yonng  man  sitting  before  yon  in  yonr  stndy, 
whom  yon  ask(Ml  whether  he  wislied  to  eonie  to  this 
conntry." 


Ms  I'l 


n 


A  fortnight  was  spent  at  Al])any,  and  the  retnrn 
was  made  "  with  few  mishaps/'  thongh,  in  the  same 
letter,  we  learn  tliat  "  dnring  two  days  the  cold  was 
most  intense,  onr  faces  being  frost-bitten — mine  not 
considerably,  as  it  was  qnickly  discovered."  This 
incidental  way  of  alluding  to  hardships  will  be  fonnd 
in  all  the  bishop's  letters  from  lirst  to  last.  He 
never  "  makes  p  fuss  "  :  dilHcnlties,  trials,  snflerings — 
all  are  in  "  the  day's  work."  In  1854  there  was  great 
scarcity  of  food,  amonnting  to  famine — that  was  a 
trial  always  to  be  feared  and  often  to  be  faced.  In 
June  1857  danger  of  another  kind  threatened  the 
settl'Miient.  Immense  qnantities  of  snow  had  fallen 
in  the  winter,  and  the  break-up  of  the  ice  in  the 
river  was  expected  with  more  than  nsnal  anxiety. 
A  Hood  was  looked  for,  and  a  Hood  came. 


FLOODS  AT  MOOSE  45 

"  On  tlie  ni.ht  of  May  21st  tl.e  noise,  as  of  distant 
thunders,  told  of  the  conflict  going  on  l.etwcon  the 
nislung   waters   and   the    still    compact    ice,   great 
niasses  of  which  were  being  occasionally  thrown  np 
in  heaps.     Soon  the  alarm  bell  rang,  which  told  ns 
of  our  danger,  and  some  gentlemen  from  the  Factory 
instantly  can.e  to  conduct  us  tliither,  as  our  house  is 
in   a   very  exposed   position.     The   river   was   now 
twenty  feet  above  its  usual  level,  and  large  hilLs  of  ice, 
twenty  feet  high,  were  thrown  up  in  several  places.' 
The   water  continued  to  rise,  until  it  was  five  feet 
higher,  by  which    tin.e  every  house  on  the  island, 
except  the  Factory,  was  Hooded;  the  water,   as  wj 
afterwards   ascertained,  having  been  live   feet  nine 
niches  deep  in  my  own  kitclien." 


life 


amage   was  done,   no 


Hajipily,  althougli   much   d 
was   lost.      ]>,ut  sucli   effects  are  long    felt 
the    Indians,    for   the    rabbits    wl 


I 


•y 


with  food  and 


Th 


'i<^'h   supi)]y   tlioni 
covering  are  swept  off  by  the  Hood. 


ere  was   another   visitation  of   the   kind 


spring   of    18G0,   wl 


in   tl 


le 


len    the    wooden    cJiurch,   then 


I  ^i' 


!l 


o 


46  JOHN  HORDEN 

building,  was  lluuted  off  and  carried  nearly  a  quarter 
f  a  niilo  from  its  foundation.  In  the  fall  of  tlie  year 
the  same  dan,ger  seemed  to  be  upon  them. 

lUit  lliere  was  a  briglit  side  even  to  these  visita- 
tions, for  they  meant  the  break-up  of  the  long,  gloomy, 
trying  winter,  tlie  prospect  of  a  change  of  food,  a 
change  of  work,  and  news  from  distant  friends.  In 
the  lonu;  frost-bound  months  tlie  Indians  felt  the 
hardship  of  dwelling  in  a  barren  land ;  so  little 
stood  between  them  and  actual  starvation.  At  one 
post,  early  visited  l)y  Horden,  out  of  120  Indians 
a  sixth  died  of  hunger  in  one  season. 

.Vt  that  station  one  man  had  saved  his  life  at  the 
expense  of  his  children.  There  were  six  little  ones ; 
he  killed  and  ate  them  all.  The  desolation  of  the 
land,  which  yields  so  little  to  man,  was  brought  home 
to  the  missionary  on  that  journey.  He  had  430 
miles  to  travel,  and,  "  during  the  wdiole  way,"  he 
wrote,  **  1  saw  no  tent  or  house,  not  even  human 
being,  until  I  arrived  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  post.  I  appeared  to  be  passing  through  a  foreign 
land." 


OFF  TO  WHALE  JilVER  ^j 

Yet  a  lund  of  even  greater  desolation  was  under 

Ws  care.     At  Wl.ale  Eiver  tliere  were  Eskimo,  and 

to  tl.esc  Horden  early  paid  a  visit.     In  18C2  he  was 

able  to  give  tlicm  more  attention. 

Keen   student   of   languages    as    Horden   was- 
and  he  even  learned   something  of  Norwegian,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  minister  to  the  Europeans  at 
Moose-lie  was  dependent  partly  during  this  visit 
on  the  help  of  an  interpreter.    That  interpreter  is  an 
interesting  reminder  of  the  way  in  winch  one  n.ission 
helps  another.     For  the  young  Eskimo  who  served 
Horden  had  formerly  lived  on  the  coast  of  Labrador. 
Whilst  there  he  had   con>e  under  the  instruction 
of  the   Moravian   missionaries,  and  had  carried  to 
Whale   Kivor,    on   the    sliores   of    Hudson's    Bay, 
some  knowledge  of  their  teaching.     He  could  speak 
a  little  English,  knew  some  texts,  and  remembere.l 
•some  liynnis  well.     Tlu>s  tl,e  Moravians   in  far-off 
Labrador  had,  all  unknown  to  themselves,  prepared 
the  way  of  the  gospel  in  another  land. 

The  journey  to  Whale  liiver  was  trying,  but  the 
nussionary  felt  well  repaid.     He  wrote  home  in  the 


r;   '; 


f! 


'k 


48  /0//N  1  FOR  DEN 

f()ll()\viii<f  year,  tluit  "  tliosci  eight  days  were  indeed 
blessed  ones,  and  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  me, 
for  tliey  were  anK)ngst  the  most  snccessful  missionary 
days  1  have  had  since  I  have  been  in  the  conntry." 

His  day's  work  amongst  them  was  much  as 
follows.  At  six  in  the  morning  he  began  with  a 
service  for  the  Eskimo,  to  which  some  came  "  dressed 
very  much  like  working  men  in  England,"  in 
imported  garments  ;  others  in  the  seal-skin  clothing 
popular  amongst  them ;  and  one  woman  in  "  an 
English  gown,  of  which  she  seemed  not  a  little 
proud."  The  service  was  a  mixture  of  worship  and 
instruction,  with  as  much  singing  as  possible. 

This  over,  the  nussionary  went  to  breakfast. 
After  breakfast  came  a  service  for  the  Indians, 
who  were  less  eager  than  the  Eskimo,  although  more 
advanced  in  knowledge. 

When  Horden  had  ended  his  lesson  to  the  Indians 
he  went  to  school  himself — that  is  to  say,  he  took 
a  lesson  from  his  Eskimo  interpreter.  This  over, 
he  began  visiting  the  homes  of  his  Hock  —  seal- 
skin   tents,   and    not   the   ice-houses   of  which   wo 


i'-i 


ESKIMO    MAX. 


fi 


jl 


li  1 


ESKIMO  QUALITIES  51 

hear  at  other  times.  Then  came  a  walk ;  then 
another  service  with  tlie  Eskimo;  then  tinotlier 
with  the  Indians;  an  Knglisli  service  for  tlie  few 
Europeans  at  tlie  station  ;  another  hour  learning,' 
Eskimo ;  a  half  an  hour's  social  chat ;  an<^  at  last, 
"  with  feelings  of  thankfulness  at  having  been  placed 
as  a  labourer  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  I  retired 
to  rest." 

Horden  was  greatly  drawn  towards  these  Eskimo 
of  Whale  Pdver;  tliey  seemed  so  gentle,  so  contented 
under  many  hardships,  so  ready  to  learn,  so  sincere 
in  their  new  faith.  Three  were  baptized  during  this 
visit,  two  of  whom  afterwards  became  nuin  and  wife. 
This  little  chui'ch  was  soon  sorely  tried,  for  the  youn<^ 
interpreter  was  drowned,  and  the  Christian  wife 
died. 

One  otlier  department  of  work,  in  which  Horden 
made  great  strides  duiing  his  first  period  of  residence 
in  Moosonee,  remains  to  be  noticed.  Every  wise 
missionary  wishes  his  people  as  soon  as  possible  to 
have  the  Bible,  or  at  least  some  of  it,  in  their  own 
tongue.     Horden  was  fully  alive  to  this  part  of  liis 


I 


ill  I 


52  JOHN  IIORDEN 

duly,  and  IVoia  the  first  worked  at  translation.  Pint 
tho  l)usicst  writer  llnds  himself  hard  pushed,  mdess 
he  can  have;  the  aid  of  the  ])rinting-press.  Something 
had  lieen  done  for  the  mission  at  home,  but  more 
was  In  1»L!  done  ])y  Jfordt-n  himself  at  ]\I(K)se. 

To  his  great  joy  tlu;  ship  one  year  brought  out 
every  re([uisite  for  a  small  printing-oflice.  It  was 
tru(i  that  llorden  knew  nothing  of  type-setting,  or  of 
taking  impressions  from  the  type  when  set ;  but 
his  early  training  again  came  in  useful.  Nothing 
daunted,  he  set  to  work  at  the  new  tra  ^'^.,  and  tau<^ht 
a  small  boy  to  help  him.  It  was  slo  .ork,  and  so 
diflerent  from  the  means  they  liad  seen  him  use 
before,  that  some  of  his  faithful  Indians  feared  this 
new  task  had  turned  his  brain.  But  when  the  first 
eight  pages  were  printed  off  their  delight  was  almost 
as  great  as  his  own.  To  the  occupations  of  translator 
and  printer  Horden  added  that  of  a,  poet,  with  the 
result  that,  before  he  took  his  first  holiday  to 
England,  he  had  given  the  Indians  the  Four  Gospels, 
a  prayer-book,  and  a  hymn-book  in  the  Cree 
language. 


i;l 


EARLY  FRUITS  53 

Iiut  tliesG  ljil)Our,s  wcro  not  without  a  drjuvbaek. 
Working  oarly  and  late,  witli  much  anxiety  of  many 
kinds,  he  found,  when  his  book  of  tlie  (}osi)els  was 
complete,  that  his  strength  was  overtaxed.  "  \ 
have  felt,"  he  wrote, "  that  even  a  v«!ry  stroii"-  consti- 
tution  has  limits,  whicli  it  may  not  pass  with 
impunity."  Tiiat  he  did  not  caution  himself  without 
good  cause  will  easily  be  believed  when  Ilorden's 
many  tnsks  are  kept  in  mind.  Thus,  ai)art  from  .'dl 
other  work,  he  learned  Cree,  Ojibbeway,  and  Eskimo, 
for  the  benelit  of  the  natives;  Norwegian,  for  some 
of  the  Company's  staff;  and  Hebrew,  that  he  miglit 
be  the  better  able  to  translate  the  Old  Testament  in 
time. 

His  labours  were  not  iii  vain.  Before  he  thought 
of  visiting  England  for  his  first  holiday,  he  was  able 
to  estnuate  that  1800  Indians  in  his  distiiet  had 
either  been  baptized  or  were  waiting  for  the  rite. 


'■  I; 


ti  1 


'  i'  1 

1  ' 

'? 

,1 

:  if 

OHArXEII  V 


ENGLAND    VISITED 


The  Coming  of  the  Ship— A  Wreck — A  Perilous  Voyage- 
Rest  and  Return  to  Work. 


HE  Hordons  left  England  in  1851 ; 
they  wished  to  go  home  for  a  few 
months  in  1 864  We  shall  all  agree 
that  they  had  earned  a  holiday,  but 
it  was  not  any  yearning  for  "rest  and  cliange"  that 
caused  them  to  return.  Children  had  been  born  to 
them,  and  three  were  then  at  an  age  at  which  it  was 
desirable  that  they  should  go  to  English  schools. 
Horden  planned,  therefore,  to  leave  Moose  by  the 
ship  of  1804,  and  to  reach  England  in  the  October 
or  November  of  tlint  year. 

54 


SHIPWRECK 


55 


The  coming  of  the  ship  with  its  cargo  of  lood,  of 
clothing,  of  merchandise,  and  of  news  was  always 
eagerly  looked  for  by  Europeans  and  natives  alike. 
It  was  expected  all  through  August.  When  the 
2ord,  and  the  latest  known  date  for  its  appearance 
had  gone,  despair  Ijegan  to  be  felt.  Sonietliing  had 
happened;  they  would  have  to  get  on  as  best  they 
might  for  twelve  more  months.     But  some  hoped. 

Yet  September  passed,  and  there  was  no  sliip. 
October  came,  and  then  on  the  7tli,  in  the  midst  of  a 
fearful  storm,  they  heard,  "  the  report  of  large  guns 
at  sea." 

"  The  ship's  come  ! "  w,as  tlic  cry. 

The  people  slept  that  night  in  [)leasant  anticipa- 
tion of  joy  on  the  morrow. 

But  the  morrow  brought  disappointment.  The 
guns  came  from  a  schooner  sent  from  Y(n'k  Factory 
to  break  the  bad  news.  The  Moose  ship  had  been 
wrecked  within  the  bay,  and  little  save  the  letters 
had  been  saved. 

The  ship  of  18G5  fared  better,  but  slie  too  had 
been  in  perils,  had  been  injured  by  the  ice,  and  had 


\     \ 


F 


'u! 


I  s 


I 

'I 

Mi 


56  JOHN  HORDEN 

to  be  patched  up  at  Moose  before  the  return  voyage 
could  begin.  When  fairly  afloat  it  was  soon  clear  to 
the  Hordens  that  tlie  voyage  would  be  a  very  differ- 
ent one  from  their  first.  His  own  account  of  tlie 
early  dangers  is,  as  usual,  vivid : — 

"  AVe  left  Moose  with  a  fair  wind,  which  took  us 
in  safety  over  our  long,  crooked,  and  dangerous  bar ; 
but  we  had  not  proceeded  above  half  a  day's  sail 
before  a  heavy  storm  came  upon  us.  ])angers  were 
around  us,  the  dread  of  all  coming  to  Moose  Fac- 
tory, the  Gasket  Shoal,  was  aliead ;  the  cliarts  were 
fretpiently  consulted  ;  the  captain  was  anxious,  sleep 
departed  from  his  eyes.  AVe  are  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  straits ;  we  see  land— high,  rugged,  barren 
hills ;  snow  is  lying  in  the  valleys,  stern  winter  is 
already  come ;  it  seems  a  home  scarcely  tit  for  the 
white  bear  and  the  walrus.  What  are  these  solitary 
giants,  raising  their  lieads  so  high,  and  appearing  so 
formidable  ?  They  are  immense  icebergs,  which  have 
come  from  regions  still  farther  north,  and  are  now 
being  carried  by  tlie  current  thn.iigli  Hudson's  Straits 


:|i 


o 
o 


I 


0< 


■f. 
11 


''A  FEARFUL  NIGHT' 


59 


into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  glass  speaks  of  coming 
bad  weather,  the  topsails  are  reefed,  reefs  are  pnt  to 
the  mainsail ;  and  now  it  is  on  us,  the  wind  roars 
through  the  rigging,  the  ship  plunges  and  creaks. 
Niglit  conies  over  the  scene ;  there  is  no  cessation  of 
the  tempest ;  it  howls  and  roars — it  is  a  fearful  night ! 
One  of  the  boats  is  nearly  swept  away,  and  is  saved 
with  difficulty ;  we  have  lost  some  of  our  rigging ; 
one  man  is  washed  overboard,  and  washed  back 
again.  The  sea  breaks  over  the  vessel,  and  dashes 
into  the  cabin  ;  but  One  mightier  has  said,  •' Hitherto 
shalt  thou  come  and  no  farther.'  By  the  morning, 
the  morning  of  the  Sabbath,  the  wind  had  abated." 

The  voyage  which  beg^n  in  this  way  continued  to 
be  one  of  weariness.  But  at  last  they  reached  lion  ..», 
and  were  able  to  spend  some  months  amidst  famiHar 
scenes  at  Exeter.  The  old  objection  to  missionary 
work  was  now  no  longer  felt  Ijy  Horden's  father, 
and  both  parents  now  found  themselves  fully  in 
sympathy  with  the  son's  work  in  life. 

Having  placed  some  of  their  children  at  school, 
and  obtained  a  little  of  tlie  rest  so  well  earned,  IMr. 


6o  JOHN  HORDEN 

and  Mrs.  Horden  went  back  to  the  field   in  1867. 
This  time  they  ai^proached  their  desolate  home  from 
the  south,  travelling  by  steamer  and  rail  as  far  as 
Montreal,  and  then  covering  the  last  1200  miles  in 
canoes.     For  Horden   himself  this   would  not  have 
meant  much  liardship;   but   Mrs.  Horden  had  her 
two  youngest  children  with  her,  and  for  them  the 
long  journey   was    not   witliout   its  dangers.     The 
party   had,  of  course,   to   camp  out  at  night,   and 
occasionally  the  canoes  reached  places  where  all  the 
passengers  had  to  land  whilst  "  portages  "  were  made. 
]3ut  they  reached  their  destination  safely,  and  were 
warmly  welcomed.     They  returned  in  time  to  be  of 
help  to  their  neighbours  in  a  winter  of  great  scarcity 
and  hardship. 

Mr.  Horden  was  at  once  plunged  into  his  former 
occupations,  and  added  to  them  a  new  one.  A 
harmonium  had  been  provided  for  the  little  church 
at  Moose,  and  he  learnt  to  play  it. 


CHAPTEK  VI 


OUT-STATIONS 


A  Canoe  Joiiniey  — Fighting  the  Ice  — Simple  Wors'  ^,pevs  — 
Indian  Liberality — Alissionaiy  and  Meehanif^  ihe  Doo.'iy 
of  Heathenism. 


.v:«?3 


OJJDEN    now     began     a     series    of 

missionary   journeys,    longer    than 

it 

any  he  had  hitherto  attempted- 
In  May  18G8  he  started  for 
a  post  called  Brunswick  House,  which  lies 
far  to  the  south-east,  near  Lake  Superior.  The 
journey,  made  by  canoe,  lasted  eleven  days.  The 
river  was  full  of  ice,  and  the  travellers  were  several 
times  in  serious  danger.  Horden  spent  nine  days 
amongst  the  Indians  at  Brunswick  House,  and  then 
turned   home   again;     A   few   days   were   spent   at 


n 


1)1 


62  JOI/N  HO R  DEN 

Moose,  and  then  he  was  away  once  more ;  tliis  time 
heading  to  the  north-east  to  liupert's  House.  There 
he  found  some  three  or  four  Iiundred  Indians,  many 
of  whom  had  known  and  practised  the  worst  evils 
of   heathenism,  hut   wlio   were   now   honest   Chris- 


AGKD   CHER    MAN. 


tian  people.  Two  Sundays  were  spent  at  liupert's 
House ;  then  the  missionary  turned  due  north  along 
the  coast  of  James'  Bay  (tlie  southern  extension 
of  Hudson's  Bay),  travelling  by  canoe  to  Fort 
George,  doing  the  two  hundred  miles  in  four  days 


FIGHTIA'G  THE  ICE 


63 


and  a  half.  Hero  he  had  pleasant  intercourse  with 
another  body  of  Christian  Indians  under  a  native 
teacher. 

Only  a  few  days  could  he  spent  at  Fort  George, 
after  which  passage  was  takini  l)y  a  schooner  to  go 
still  farther  north.  Their  destination  was  Great 
Whale  Itiver,  but  the  journey  threatened  to  be 
disastrous.  Horden  himself  thus  pictures  the  ex- 
periences of  this  journey: — 


"  We  get  half-way,  then,  as  the  vessel  cannot  move 
forward,  I  leave  it,  and,  accompanied  by  two  native 
sailors,  proceed  in  a  small  boat.  Two  days  bring  us 
to  an  encampment  of  Indians.  I  now  leave  my  boat 
and  enter  a  canoe,  having  with  me  Keshkumash,  his 
wife,  and  their  young  son;  two  other  canoes,  each 
containing  a  man  and  his  wife,  keep  us  company. 
We  have  to  work  in  earnest.  Sometimes  we  ^^o 
along  fast ;  then  we  were  in  the  midst  of  ice,  and 
could  not  move  at  all ;  again  we  were  chopping  a 
passage  for  the  canoes  with  our  axes;  and  then, 
when  we  could  do  nothing  else,  we  carried  it  over 


f 


i  1 


64  JOHN  JIORDEN 

the  rocks  and  set  it  tlown  wliero  the  ice  was  not  so 
closely  packed. 

"  After  two  days  and  a  half  of  tliis  wo  came  to  a 
standstill,  and  1  determined  to  go  on  foot.  1  took 
one  Indian  with  me,  and  we  set  off.  Our  walk  was 
over  high,  bare  hills ;  rivers  ran  through  several  of 
the  valleys,  these  we  waded." 

Arrived  at  last  at  his  destination,  there  were 
heathen  Indians  to  deal  with,  some  of  whom  received 
his  message,  whilst  some  did  not.  But  Horden  had 
not  yet  reached  b\s  farthest  point  north,  and  there- 
fore pushed  on  to  Little  Whale  Itiver,  where  he  was 
amongst  the  Eskimo.  Then,  and  not  till  then, 
did  he  return  south. 

In  1870  came  another  series  of  long  journeys, 
marked  by  so  much  hardship  that  Horden's  health 
suffered.  He  left  Moose  in  June,  and  travelled  iij:) 
the  river  to  New  Brunswick,  having  for  his  com- 
panions during  a  part  of  the  time  some  Indians,  who, 
before  they  knew  a  white  missionary,  had  learned 
from   a  Christian    Indian    how    to    worship    God. 


A  GOOD  COLLECT/ON  65 

Their  way  wus  very  .simiilc.  One  gjive  out  the  verse 
of  \x  liynui ;  another  repeated  a  text  of  Scripture; 
tlieri  came  more  of  the  hymn,  and  tlien  more  texts. 
After  this  tliey  knelt,  and  some  lialf  a  dozen  hecian 
to  pray  all  at  once.  The  heathen  observers  found 
opportunity  to  sperdv,  and  one  explained  that  he  had 
been  favoured  with  a  visit  from  a  spirit,  which 
declared  tliat  it  would  withdraw  its  protection  from 
his  cliildren  if  he  gave  them  up  for  Christian 
teaching. 

From  Js'ew  lirunswick  IForden  went  ou  to  the 
south-east,  to  a  station  called  Matawakumma. 
There  tlie  Indians  were  decreasing  in  numbers,  but 
not  in  their  love  for  Christ.  For  amongst  tliem 
Horden  made  what  he  called  "  tlie  largest  com- 
parative collection  I  liave  ever  nuide  in  my  life,  no 
less  than  £8,  2s.  8d."  Tlie  liberality  of  these  little 
scattered  communities  was  indeed  remarkable.  If 
they  could  not  give  in  coin  they  could  in 
kind. 

One  collection  from  an  Indian  congregation 
produced    fifty  -  eiglit    b(vivers,    then    equal    to    a 


66  JOiriV  IIORDEy 

sum  of  £8,  14,s.  ^Yllen  lIordiMi  was  buikliug  a 
school  at  Moose,  tliey  j^ave  part  of  tlieir  aid  in 
lal)Oiii',  and  worked  to  llie  value  of  X20.  JJefore 
Hordeu  returned  a  sceond  time  to  England,  he 
liad  built  live  cliuiches,  not  one  of  which  could 
have  Ijeeu  raised  without  the  hearty  co-opera- 
tion of  the  Christian  Indians.  That  in  the  building 
of  them  he  had  reason  again  and  again  to  be 
thankful  for  the  early  training  which  made  him  a 
good  artisan,  is  plain  enough  from  his  letters.  But, 
like  Mackay,  he  knew  that  he  could  be  serving  God 
just  as  well  when  working  with  hammer  and  chisel 
as  when  praying  with  a  little  group  of  Indians 
encamped  for  the  niglit  by  some  swift  stream,  or 
preaching  in  one  of  tl'o  churches  raised  in  part  by 
his  own  labour,  or  when  brightening  with  the  sure 
promises  of  (lod  the  deathbed  of  some  believing 
Indian. 

But  a  new  responsibility  was  about  to  fall  on 
Horden,  and,  in  preparation  for  this,  1.":  went  to 
England  in  1872. 

When  Ik;  left  Moose,  heathenism  was  almost  ex- 


A  GROWING  CflURCn  67 

tinct  there.     Twelve  luitive  teachers,  trained  l)v  liim 
were  ministering^  tu  their  l)rethren;  and  tlie  nund)er 
of  declared  dnistinns  in  his  district  was  estimated 
at  1625. 


ffl 


CIIArTER  VI  r 


.:i 


A   NEW    [iESPONSIMILlTV 

Uordon  ConscM-atod  liishop  nf  Moosoiioc-A  Groat  Diocese,  Immv 
Peoplo  — At  Work  once  more -A  Day's  Tusks  — An  In- 
teiTuptoil  Soivioo,  and  Scolding  JMutlu-rs --An  Onlinatiun 
Sermon. 

OKDEN  was  called  to  Eiiolaud  that 
he  might  be  made  a  bishop.  Tlie 
eouiitiy  round  Hudson's  Bay  had 
formed  a  part  of  tlio  immense 
diocese  of  liupert's  Land,  bnt,  with  the  advance  of 
missionary  work  and  the  increase  of  the  wliite 
population,  it  had  been  resolved  to  divide  it. 
An  irregular  slice  of  territory  surrounding  Hud- 
son's  Bay  became  the  new  diocese  of  Moosonee, 
and  was   placed  undcn-  Horden's  care.      Xo   better 

(is 


CONSECRATED  BISHOP  69 

choice  could  luive  been  iiiude.  ]Ie  was  in  the  prime 
of  life,  and  had  seen  twenty-one  years  of  service  in 
the  field.  He  had  shown  ([ualities  which  are  rarely 
found  towther  in  one  man. 


lUsiiDi's  loruT,  s(H()(>i,iiorsK,  and  tknt,  moosi:  |.(.i;t, 


][e  was  consecrated  at  Westminster  AI)hey  on 
JJecemher  L",  ^S7L^  one  of  tlie  prelates  who  laid 
their  hands  on  him  bein,o-  that  very  Bishop  Anderson 
who,  just  twenty  years  before,  had  ordained  him  at 
Moose. 


If!: 


70  /(9//A^  BORDEN 

The  new  diucesii  had  this  peculiarity,  that  on  one 
side  it  had  no  boundary.  Towards  the  north  it 
extends  as  far  as  you  please ;  towards  the  south  it 
is  now  bordered  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Eailway ; 
eastward  and  westward  it  runs  up  by  the  shores  of 
the  great  bay.  The  inhabitants  perhaps  numbered 
10,000;  a  few  Europeans,  some  half-breeds,  with 
Crees,  Ojibbeways,  Chippewyans,  and  Eskimo.  There 
was  no  rich  person  in  the  diocese,  and  the  Indians 
in  particular  had  many  hardships  to  face.  But  the 
population  was  so  scattered  that,  when  Horden  was 
summoned  home  this  time,  he  had,  as  he  put  it,  just 
returned  from  "a  five  months'  walk"  in  his  own 
"parish." 

Bishop  Horden  left  England  in  May,  and  went 
home  overland — thiit  is  to  say,  he  again  approached 
Moose  from  the  south.  It  was  another  case  of  hard 
work,  hard  fare,  and  hard  dealings  from  the  mos- 
quitoes, which  had  no  more  reverence  for  a  bishop 
than  for  a  curate. 

Of  course  there  were  rejoicings  at  the  return  of  the 
bishop,  but  Horden  himself  settled  down  at  once  to 


WINTER   WORK 


71 


everyday  work.  He  hud  his  plans  for  the  diocese, 
dividing  it  into  districts,  in  the  hope  of  placing  a 
clergyman  in  each.  Into  the  work  of  translation  he 
threw  himself  with  new  zest,  using  upon  this  the  long 
days  when  the  rivers  were  in  the  grip  of  the  ice,  and 
little  travelling  could  be  done.  Thus,  in  writing  on 
May  5th,  1874,  the  date  of  the  great  Church  Missionary 
Society  meeting  of  the  year,  in  the  Exeter  Hall,  he 
gives  us  a  glimpse  of  one  such  quiet  day  at 
Moose : — 

"  Outside  it  is  very  gloomy ;  it  is  still  very  cold ; 
the  snow  is  very  deep  on  the  ground ;  the  ice  in  the 
river  is  nearly  as  strong  as  it  was  in  the  middle  of 
winter,  and  we  do  not  anticipate  a  break-up  for  a 
fortnight,  and  when  the  break-up  comes  we  fear  a 
tlood. 

"  And,  now,  how  shall  I  spend  the  day  ?  Princi- 
pally on  my  translations,  wliich,  I  thank  God,  are 
progressing  very  favourably.  T  am  now  engaged  on 
the  Psalms,  which  are  to  form  the  commencement  of 
the  book  I  have  in  hand.    See  me,  then,  as  I  shall  be 


«l 


i'.  : 


:J! 


Wr 


72  JOHN  HORDE  N 

half  an  hour  hence,  pen  and  ink  and  manuscript 
book    before     me,     Scott's     Connnentary     opened 
at  the   ninetieth   Psahn,  with  Mason's   Bible,  Cree 
Dictionary,    Prayer-book,    Cruden's     Concordance, 
arrayed    around    me,    and    I    sliall     be     deep     in 
the    beauties    of    tliat    solenni    l>saln].       At    nine 
I    take    Bertie    and    Beatrice    for    an    hour,    and 
then     return    to    my    translations    until    dinner- 
time.      Afterwards    I    shall    go    out    to   see    some 
of    my    people,     notably    a     very    aged     woman, 
grandmother   of   our   scliooliiiaster;    slie   has    lived 
over  a  century." 


t ; 


But  with  these  cares  in  liis  mind  he  always  liad 
an  eye  for  tlie  ordinary  life  of  the  settlement.  He 
could  lielp  with  the  rest  in  preparing  for  the 
winter;  in  seeing  that  a  potato  crop  was  got  in; 
tliat  a  stock  of  lish  was  caught,  ami  salted  or 
frozen;  tliat  jngs  and  cattle  were  killed  and 
frozen;  that  great  stores  of  iirewood  were  brought 
in.  For  those  who  were  healthy  tliere  were 
amusements    too.      The    bishop's    boys  — hke    any 


/ 


M 


SPORTS  AND  PASTIMES 


73 


other  hoys  —  enjoyed  wielding  an  axe,  and  were 
never  better  pleased  than  when  out  in  the 
woods.  Then  they  could  taste  the  keen  joy 
of  rushing  througli  tlie  crisp  air  on  a  toboggan, 
which  even  those  who  have  only  known  the 
sport  as  it  is  practised  in  winter  in  Switzerland 
will  envy  them.  There  was  iishing  too ;  cold 
work  with  the  temperature  "a  little  1)elow  zero," 
so  that  the  trout  froze  hard  soon  after  they 
left  the  water.  Ihit  the  bishop  knew  the  secret 
of  contentment,  and  writes  down  his  own  view  in 
these  Words — 


V 


"  The  happiest  man  is  hr  iclio  is  uiust  dllvjaUlij 
employed  ahuut  his  Master  s  hiisiiiess." 

Perhaps  liorden's  new  dignity  added  weight  to 
his  words.  At  all  events,  it  was  soon  after  his 
return  as  a  bishop  that  a  curious  intcaTuption 
stopped  for  a  moment  one  of  his  services,  lie  had 
been  up  the,  bay,  when,  during  the  journey,  he  saw 
a  body  of  Indians  in  the  distance.  As  usual,  he  at 
once  arranged  a  service  for  them.      A  good  many 


I' 


:..| 


74  JOHN  HORDEN 

young  people   were   present,   to  wlioni  tlie  bisliop 
spoke. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  stir  amongst  the  hearers, 
and  cries  were  raised. 

He  stopped  for  a  moment  in  astonishment;  but 
then  their  voices  told  him  the  cause  of  the 
tumult.  The  mothers  were  making  the  most  of 
his  advice. 

"Bo  you  hear?"  they  cried  to  tlieir  daugh- 
ters; "isn't  this  what  we  are  always  telling 
you  ? " 

Then   the   daughters   were  hauled   to   the   front, 
whilst  their  mothers  shouted :  "  Come  here,  that  he 
may  see  you;  let  him  see  how  ashamed  vou  look 
you  disobedient  children." 

This  interlude  over,  the  sermon  went  on  to  a 
happy  end. 

Bishop  Horden  had  for  years  been  training  some 
natives,  with  a  view  to  the  ministry,  and  two  were 
speedily  ordained  by  him.  His  own  summary  of 
his  first  ordination  sermon  will  interest  those 
who    care    to    know   the    spirit    in  which    Horden 


[> 


A  SERMON  TO  EVANGELISTS 


75 


vvoikud,  iiiul  tlio  s[)iiit  ho  desired  for  liis  lielpcrs. 
The  text  was  Heh.  xii.  2,  and  the  suiiiiiiary  runs 
thus — 

"  1.  Look  unto  Jesus,  to  leain  in  what  spirit  your 
work  shoukl  be  performed. 

"  2.  Look  at  Jesus,  and  see  in  Him  how  a  minister 
of  God  should  p'ay. 

"3.  Look  unto  Jesus,  and  learn  from  Him  liow 
to  improve  opportunities  which  arise  in  the  course 
of  your  ministry.  When  paddhng  with  an  Indian, 
over  one  of  the  lakes,  teach  him  to  look  to  Jesus, 
who  walked  on  the  waves  of  the  Lake  of  Gennes- 
aret.  In  the  lonely  bivouac,  speak  to  him  of  Jesus 
who  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head.  In  the  squalid 
tent,  of  Him  who,  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  our 
sakes  became  poor. 

"4.  Look  unto  Jesus,  and  learn  from  Him  how 
best  to  convey  instruction. 

"  5.  Look  unto  Jesus  in  His  holiness,  and  fashion 
your  life  in  the  same  faultless  mould. 


76  JOHN  HORDEN 

"6.  Look  unto  Jesus,  for   the  fulfilment  of   His 
promises. 

"  7.  Teacli  those  to  whom  you  are  sent  to  look 
unto  Jesus." 

The  bishop's  words  were,  his  hearers  knew,  but 
the  reflection  of  his  own  life. 


f 


CHAPTER  VITI 


LEAVES   FPvOM  BISITOP   TIORDKn's    DI.UJY 


More  TIt'lpcrs— A  Iloiiiuliiliout  W;iy  to  tlu'  Far  North— A  TcrviMc 
Jouniey— An  Arctic  Home— hoiuly  Churohill— An  Iiidiaii 
Heroine— The  Fruits  of  Christianity     Annthcr  Year  of  llcst. 


N  tlie  settloinent  of  tciicliors  for  tlic 
little  coiiiinunities  under  liis  caro 
the  l)isliop  felt  the  greatest  joy.  lie 
was  able  to  place  two  native  clergy- 
men amongst  the  (3jibbeways.  York  Factory,  an 
important  trading-post  on  th(;  soiitli-west  shore 
of  the  bay,  had  an  English  clergyman,  Mr.,  after- 
wards Archdeacon,  Winter:  another  English  clergy- 
man, the  ]{ev.  J.  li.  Keen,  worked  at  Moose,  and 
then  at  l*tui)ert's  House;  and  then  Mr.  E.  J. 
Peck,  who  had  begun  lil'e  in  the  navy,  came  out  to 


.1  ; 


It 


II  i 


m 


78  /0//X  IIORDEN 

work  aiii()ii;4st  tlie  Kskiiiio.  Mr.  Tcck  was  ordained 
by  tlic  hislio])  in  1878,  and  is  still  attaulied  to  the 
sani(j  mission. 

Dili  it  must  iKit  1m',  suppostMl  llmt  tin;  lidp  tlnis 
jj;ivL'n  made  Hunk'n  him.scll'  less  active.  }fe 
"lal»our(.'d  more  a1)undantly  tliiiii  they  all,"  and 
witli  tliu  same  cheerful  humility.  He  made  a 
journey  to  the  south-west  to  attend  a  Synod  at 
AVinnii)eg,  and  thence  proceeded,  by  way  of  con- 
trast, to  the  north-west  that  he  might  visit  York 
Factory.  This  cnv*  msly  illustrates  an  old  saying 
as  to  the  "  loagest  way  round "  being  the  "shortest 
way  there."  York  Factory  lies  far  to  the  north-west 
of  Moose  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson's  Bay,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Xelson  Jfiver.  To  reach  it 
Horden  went  almost  due  south  to  Alattawa;  then 
westward  by  the  Canadian  Pacitic  JJailway.  A 
stay  was  nuule  near  Winnipeg  ;  then  he  went 
still  farther  west  by  steamer  and  boat  before 
striking  to  the  north  through  a  desolate  land 
to  York  Factory.  Here  the  bishop  was  busy  as 
eve-,  conducting  an  Knglisli  school,— for  desolate  as 


> 

V, 

H 

K 
H 


79 


THIRTY  DEGREES  TELO  W  ZERO        8 1 

tlio  spot  is,  Ihu  Tiir  Lnule  lias  gatliurt'd  u  lilllo  c-nluiiy 
of  English  there, — helping  the  resident  missionary  to 
learn  Crec,  and  teaching  the  natives. 

From  York  Factory  Horden  jjuslied  on  to  Fort 
Chnreliill,  the  most  northerly  spot  inhal)ited  in 
his  diocese.  This,  too,  is  on  tlie  shores  of  the  bay. 
The  bishop's  diary  of  this  expedition  shows  the 
life  which  a  missionary  nuist  be  content  to  lead 
who  would  preach  Christ  in  tlie  far  north.  If  ere 
it  is: — 

''  Fch.  \st,  1880.— At  four  o'clock,  soon  after  tlic 
close  of  tlie  Indian  service,  drove  from  York  Factory 
8  miles,  through  willows  and  woods  to  a  house 
occupied  by  wood-cutters.  Temperature,  30  degrees 
below  zero. 

"  Fch.  2nd, — After  service  and  breakfast,  set  out  on 

our  way  to  Churchill ;  the  cold  was  severe  and  the 

wind  high,  so  high  indeed  that  the  guide  had  some 

doubts  about  crossing  Nelson  Hi  ^,r,  which  we  reached 

soon  after  starting.     Where  we  crossed  it  was  8  miles 

wide  and  very  rough,  the  ice  piled  high  most  of  the 
6 


I 


tl 


82  JOHN  IIORDEN 

distance ;  it  was  the  most  diflicult  triivoUiiig  1  luive 
ever  experienced ;  we  were  obliged  to  cross  miles 
higher  up  than  tlie  route  some  of  my  companions 
had  taken  in  coming  to  York  only  a  few  days 
previously,  the  ice  having  been  broken  up  by  the 
fierce  winds  wliich  have  lately  raged.  Having 
crossed  without  accident  we  went  down  the  northern 
bank  of  the  river  towards  the  swi ;  at  noon  we  took 
dinner,  when  our  guide  thonght  we  had  better  put 
up  for  the  night.  We  all  went  to  lienjamin  Kayam- 
awililew's  tent ;  he  was  very  kind,  and  enlarged  his 
tent  so  as  to  accommodate  the  whole  oi  us ;  we  spent 
a  very  pleasant  evening,  I  conducting  our  service 
in  English  and  Cree.  Temperature,  27  degrees 
!»clo\v  zero.  We  had  among  us  two  carioles,  two 
sledges  for  l)agg;ige  and  provisions,  and  sixteen 
dogs. 

"  Fch,  ord. — After  prayers  and  lu'eakfast,  resumed 
our  journey  for  a  short  time  througli  woods,  and  then 
over  more  open  country.  The  wind  was  high  and 
cold,  and  the  drifting  of  the  snow  did  not  i)ermit  us 
to  proceed  after  twelve  o'clock.     We  had  a  very  good 


A  TERRIBLE  JOURNEY  83 

encampment  at  Island  lUnfl'.  Temperature,  23 
degrees  below  zero. 

''Feb.  UK — Bitterly  cold,  with  a  cutting  wind, 
blowing  directly  in  our  faces;  our  way  lay  over 
plains  interspersed  with  belts  of  trees ;  encamped 
between  one  and  two  o'clock  at  Partridge  Creek. 
Temperature,  oO  degrees  below  zero. 

'' Feh.  htli.  —  ('ohl  Htill  more  severe;  wind  as 
yesterday,  right  in  our  teeth :  could  not  travel  after 
eleven  o'clock,  when  we  encamped  at  the  edge  of 
Stoney  IJiver  I'lain.  With  the  exception  of  myself, 
all  were  frozen;  the  guide  and  James  Isaac,  my 
special  attendant,  very  severely.  Temperature,  oG 
degrees  below  zero. 

'' Fch.  i!)/Ji. — Xo  change  for  the  better,  but  obliged 
to  proceed,  as  food  for  both  men  and  dogs  was  but 
limited ;  the  crossing  of  the  large  plain  was  terrible, 
and  all  sutfered  a  great  deal.  At  three  o'clock  we 
encamped  at  Owl  lliver.  Temperature,  o^  degrees 
below  zero. 

"  Fch.  7 Ik — AVe  had  very  bad  weather  to-day,  the 
wind   very  liigh   and   cold,  with   a  little  snow  and 


in 


I: 


84  /OffiV  HORDEN 

iiiucli  drift ;  could  not  proceed  after  eleven  o'clock, 
when  wc  encamped  on  the  e(\^e  of  the  liig  riain. 
Indians  killed  two  deer  to-day.  'reniperatiire,  32 
degrees  below  zero. 

"  Fch.  Sth. — We  started  very  late,  and  at  once 
faced  the  plain.  In  looking,'  over  it,  one  could 
fancy  himself  heholdin*,'  the  frozen  surface  of  the 
sea;  no  trees  or  ])ushes  break  the  uniform  level  of 
white,  and  over  it  we  jogged  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
IJiding  in  a  cariole  over  such  a  surface  is  by  no 
means  agreeable ;  one  does  not  experience  the 
sense  of  rapid  movement  over  a  smooth  surface, 
one  rather  feels  as  if  moving  slowly  over  a  rough 
road ;  more  than  Jinything  else,  it  resembles  that 
of  l)eing  in  a  si)ringless  cart  in  a  rugged  country 
lane,  for  the  snow  lies  in  ridges,  hardened  by  the 
wind,  over  which  the  cari(*le  is  incessantly  jumping. 
At  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  Bvvank,  and  proceeded 
no  farther ;  it  was  terribly  cold.  Temperature,  4G 
degrees  below  zero. 

"  Feb.  'dth. — Started  early  ;  weather  not  so  cold. 
At  two  P.M.    reached   the  south    end   of   a   belt   of 


criuRcniLL 


S; 


woods,  called  iJobinsoii's  liluir,  when  it  was  snowing- 
soiiiowhat  thickly,  and  as  this  was  a  ^i^ood  i)lace,  wilh 
plenty  of  good  wood,  we  eiicanjped  for  the  in"-ht. 
Teni[)erature,  28  degn^es  below  zero. 

'' Fiih  10/A.— The  weather  somewhat  better,  and 
we  made  a  good  day,  encamping  in  the  evening 
among  the  eastern  woods.  Temperature,  31  degrees 
b(d()W  zero. 

''Fch.  \ltli.~K  fine  day,  Inight  and  cold,  without 
wind;  passed  over  several  plains  and  small  lakes, and 
through  some  belts  of  woods.  At  noon  Ave  took 
dinner  at  Statchookem  liidge,  and  there,  15  miles 
from  (.'hurchill,  made  a  good  smoke  to  signal  our 
approach ;  8  miles  farther  on,  we  made  another, 
and  were  so(jn  met  by  men  from  the  post,  with  a 
team  of  dogs,  l>y  which  we  sent  forward  our 
doctor,  who,  with  his  fresh  team  and  drivers,  could 
get  on  nuich  faster  than  we  could  do.  We  now 
made  a  descent  of  a  couple  of  miles  through  a 
wood,  wdiich  br<jught  us  to  the  bank  of  the  Churchill 
Jiiver,  here  4  miles  wide ;  the  crossing  was  some- 
what disagreeable,  from  the  great  roughness  of  the 


1    i 


86  JOHN  HORDE N 

ico,  iiUhougli  it  was  nothing  like  as  l)a(I  as  that 
which  covered  the  Nelson  JJiver.  At  lialt'-i)ast 
four  o'clock,  I  arriv('(l  at  Churchill  House,  where  the 
wannest  oi"  receptions  was  L;iven  nic  by  Mr.  Spencer, 
the  Hudson's  I>ay  Company's  agent,  and  his  wife. 
In  the  evening,  held  a  service  attended  by  all  at  the 
post.     Temperature,  30  degrees  below  zero. 

"  The  temperature  given  is  that  registered  within 
the  Fort  at  York  Factory.  The  actual  cold  we 
experienced  on  the  trip  would  be,  at  least,  two 
degrees  more  in  intensity  than  those  I  have  given,  on 
account  of  our  exposure  and  of  our  journeying 
northward.  Every  evening,  from  an  hour  to  an 
hour  and  a  half  was  expended  in  preparing  our 
barricade,  on  which  much  care  was  bestowed  ;  the 
snow  was  first  cleared  from  the  ground,  a  wall 
of  pine-trees,  with  the  l>rnsli  on,  was  then  raised, 
over  4  feet  high,  so  as  to  protect  us  elfectually 
from  the  wind ;  at  some  distance  in  front  of  this 
the  lire  was  laid,  the  whole  space  between  it  and 
the  wall  being  thickly  piled  with  pine -brush, 
which    fornjed    an   agreeable    carpet    and    bed :    th(3 


I 


CAMPING  OUT 


S" 


(|uanti(y  of  Hruwood  cut  was  oiioi'inous  :  a  small  lir(\ 
and  one  not  constanUy  rcplunished,  "would  make  hut 
little  impression  on  air  40  de<,'rfes  helow  zero.  Cook- 
ing and  taking'  sup})er  occupied  some  time,  and  then 
we  would  sometimes  get  a  story  from    one   of  our 


A    mSTT.lL    ViSiriNC    Ills    THAI'. 

companions  of  liis  travelling  or  hunting  ex[»eriences, 
in  which  pluck,  endurance,  and  self-reliance  shone 
with  Iteeoming  lustre.  All  closed  with  a  sersiec,  in 
which  everyone  seemed  to  join  with  great  heartiness. 
Tn    the   nmrniiiL;    hefoie    starling,    aiioih(r    scrvjce 


Ili 


i:   ' 


m 


u 


88  /0//JV  HORDEN 

was  always  lield.  From  all,  I  oxperienced  the 
greatest  kindness ;  my  faintest  wish  was  complied 
with,  if  it  had  not  been  already  anticipated.  All 
were  willinu;,  all  were  cheerfnl ;  an  angry  look  or 
an  angry  word  was  not  interchanged  the  whole  way." 

Cliurchill  is  not  a  place  which  any  Enropean 
wonld  choose  as  a  home  if  duty  did  not  call  him 
there.  The  cold  is  believed  to  be  as  intense  there  as 
in  almost  any  other  spot  on  the  earth's  surface, 
and  the  isolation  is  so  great,  that  the  wife  of 
the  agent  in  charge  was  "often  years  without 
seeini^  the  face  of  a  civilised  woman."  Nor  shall 
we  wonder,  since  it  is  a  phice  where  the  land 
sees  eight  months  of  continuous  winter,  with  only 
some  six  weeks  of  real  sunmier.  There  also,  however. 
Bishop  Ilorden  was  able  to  place  a  resident  mission- 
ary, with  so  much  blessing  that,  in  recent  years, 
nearly  all  the  adults  have  regularly  met  at  the  talde 
of  the  Lord.  A  few  sentences  from  a  comparatively 
recent  letter  will  show  that,  desert  as  the  land  may 
be  called,  it  has  been  fruitful  before  God. 


SNOJF  IN  CflURCII 


89 


"('onstunt  and    rej^nilar   attendance,"    writes    tlie 
missionary,  "at  all  services  is  some  prooCoi'  a  desin; 
to  servo  Christ  al  Churcliill,  lor  I  am  (piite  sure  there 
are  many  real  Christians  in  Kn^^laiid  wliosc  place  in  the 
house  of  God  would  often  he  vacant  if  they  had  such 
a  church  as  we  had  last  winter:  it  was  no  unconnnon 
thing  to  see  minister  and  congregation  covered  with 
snow,  and  often  have  I  gone  through  the  full  service 
with  the  thermometer  a  long  way  hehjw  freezing- 
point,  yet  all  were  as  reverent  and  devout  as  if  in  a 
comfortalde  Eiiglish  church.     Thank  God,  we  have 
now  got  our   new  churcJi    opened   and   in    use,  so 
that    I    hope    we    may    escape    rain    and    storm, 
though  to  get   the   church    fairly  warm,  with   the 
thermometer  50  degrees  helow  zero,  requires  good  tires 
and  go(Ml  wood:    the  latter  is  an  impossibility  to 
get  at  Churchill." 


Ij, 


The  hishop's  letters,  during  the  period  of  service 
over  which  we  have  been  looking,  include  many  testi- 
monies to  the  character  and  worth  of  the  Christian 
Indians,  both   men   and  wo'uen.     Tiie  "noble  lied 


'  )i 


H 


90  JOHN  IIORDEN 

mail"  (Iocs  iM»l  ahviiys  a[»])(,'ar  in  licLioii  or  in  I'acl 
with  imicii  tiiic  iiol»ililv  of  cluiractor ;  yet  under  tlui 
gospel  oF  Christ,  men  and  women  sucli  as  Isad  once 
killed  tlieir  own  kindred,  to  save  tlieniselv(>s  from 
.starvin.L;',  i)rovud  tliemselves  .i,'enuin(j  heroes.  Such  a 
woman  was  Kliza,  whose  liistory  J3isliop  Iforden 
often  alhuhnl  to.  Ft  is  o-iven  in  full  in  the  letter 
which  speaks  ol'  her  death.  Here  it  is  ii:  his  own 
M-(  )rds — 


51 


13 


\    I 


"  When  I  came  to  ^Moose,  five  -  and  -  thirty 
years  ago,  among  my  first  sclioLirs  was  a  young 
Indiiin  girl,  named  Kliza  Crow ;  she  was  very 
imUistrious  in  her  studies,  and  was  not  long 
in  ac(piiring  the  ])ower  of  lioth  speaking  and 
readiiiLj  English,  and  her  liihh^  soon  heeam<' 
her  greatest  lUdight.  After  a  while,  the  family 
with  whom  she  was  living  was  sent  far  away 
into  the  interior  to  take  charge  of  a  trading- 
post,  and  she  went  with  them.  Here  she 
married  a  Christian  Indian,  who  was  in  the 
service  of  the   TTudson's  I'ay    Company.       L(\aving 


I 


I( 


iMUAN    ri;.\riM,i:^ 
'J  I 


I  ■'  1 


■i 

. 

I 

• 

i 

i 

s 


JJV  INDIA \^  HEROINE  9^ 

lliat   uiiiplny,   tlicy  went   lu  All.aiiy.  la-r    liusl.and's 
Ik'Hk',    wlicrtj    thoy    oMuiiiL-.l    tlu'ir    livclilMMMl    as 
l"nr-liiiiiter.s.      Ono    winlcT     they    liiintud    on    the 
fsliind   of  Agoiusk.',  tliu  En<;liRli    fntcri.rot.'itioii   of 
rkjunuski3  — «tlnj    hiiul    un    tlio   other  sulu   of    Lhu 
water.'     F(j,„l  wns   very  scaree,  und    l)cciiiiic   more 
sn,  until    tlieir   two   youn<re.st   eliiMien    succumhod 
to    starvation.       They    were    ui)wards    oj"    seventy 
ndlcH    From   Albany,   the    neare.st    point    at    whieli 
assistance    c(juld    be    obtained.       This     must     be 
reached,    or    all    would  starve.      Kliza     tied    her 
two    remaininn;    children,    a    boy    and    ^^\x\    well 
wrai.i.ed    up,    on     her    sledge,    and,    pieceded    by 
lier  husband,  now   in  a  state  of  great  exhaustion, 
I'o-an    the  weary  tramp.      Bravely  they  toiled  on, 
until    the    husband's    strength    was    spent.      She 
then    made    up    a    small    tent,    lit    a    fire,    and 
made  him  as  comfortable   as   possible.      She   then 
pushed    on    with    her    load,    reached    tin;    leading 
establishment,  and  fainted  away.     Xature  had  held 
out    longer    than    could    have    been    antir.patcd. 
Kind   and   busy  hands   wore,  without   ii   moment's 


If 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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94  /6>iyi\^  HORDEN 

delay,  engaged  in  ministering  to  the  wants  of 
the  famished  ones.  As  soon  as  she  could 
speak,  Eliza  evinced  lier  anxiety  for  her  hns- 
hand,  stating  the  condition  in  wliich  she  left 
him,  and  beseeching  that  help  might  be  sent 
to  him  at  once.  Eskimo  dogs  were  harnessed, 
and  supplies  inst«,ntly  despatclied.  The  tent 
was  reached,  but  succour  had  come  too  late. 
The  remains — cold,  stiff,  and  emaciated — of  the 
sufferer  were  alone  there.  These  were  buried,  and 
the  organisers  returned  to  Albany.  In  the  following 
summer  Eliza  came  on  to  Moose,  where  she  supported 
herself  and  lier  children  by  lier  industry ;  she  was 
after  a  time  married  to  her  second  husband,  Norman 
Mardevela,  a  European,  to  whom  she  was  a  faithful 
and  attached  wife,  and  l)y  whom  she  became  the 
mother  of  four  children,  and  these  she  brought  up  in 
an  exemplary  manner.  Her  last  illness  was  a  long 
one,  which  she  bore  with  great  patience.  As  the 
end  approached,  she  seemed  very  anxious  to 
be  gone,  saying  that  her  Saviour  stood  waiting 
for   her ;    her   end   was   peace.      She   was   held   in 


A  CONTRAST  95 

honour   by  all   al    Moose,  and   she   will   lonjj;   live 
in  our  memory." 


This  story  of  fighting  hunger  is  but  too  sadly  com- 
mon in  the  simple  records  of  Indian  life.  Amelia's 
case  was  not  unlike  that  of  Eliza's  ;  she  too  lost  lier 
husband  in  the  vain  effort  to  reach  help.  In  tlie 
midst  of  this  anguish  a  child  was  born,  and  that  little 
one  Amelia  succeeded  in  carrying  alive  to  Moose. 

There  was  the  wife  of  Jacob  Matamashkuni,  wh: 
saved  her  husband  from  starvation  by  feeding  him 
with  the  milk  nature  had  given  her  for  her  child. 
"  In  the  summer,"  wrote  the  wife  of  a  native  pastor 
at  one  station,  "  we  depend  altogether  on  our  n(3ts, 
and  if  fish  fails,  then  there  is  nothing  at  all." 

There  are  people  sitting  quietly  at  home  in 
England,  who  sometimes  doubt  the  value  of 
Christianity  to  such  as  these  Indians.  Tlie  contrast 
between  the  heathen  who  in  time  of  death  saved 
himself  by  cannibalism,  and  the  Christian  who 
showed  the  courage  and  faith  of  Eliza  and  Amelia, 
is  worth  their  consideration. 


fi 


irt 


'  i 


■i 


' 


Ks 


96  /OI/N IIORDEN 

The  bishop  wont  back  from  Churchill  to  Fort 
York,  and  hence,  by  the  annual  ship,  went  to  England 
for  rest  after  his  tirst  eight  years  of  work  as  a 
bishop. 


'  .,>'*^5v     'x— rt<>*'"-' r^    ,. 


|i' 


' 


CHAPTER  IX 


YEARS   OF  TRIAL 

Moosonee  Once  More— Pestilence  and  Famine— A  Pcrilons  Journey 
— A  Forest  Fairyland— A  Long  Ride  Hcliind  Dogs. 


ISHOP  HORDEN"  returned  to  Moosonee 

in    1882.      His   friends   in   England 

had  seen   a   marked   change  in  him 

since    he    was    last   amongst    them> 

and  even  those  who,  like  myself,  had  never  met 

Bishop   Horden   until   this  period,  could  not  help 

noticing  that  he  seemed  physically  unequal  to  the 

long,  tiring  journeys,  and  the  extremes  of  heat  and 

cold,  and  the  exposure  to  which  he  was  about  to 

return.     But  at  Moose  their  one  anxiety  was  to  have 

him  with  them. 
7 


I  -'I 

m 


i 


«■■ 


i' 


ill!!. 


1  !s    j;i 


98  /(9//iy  IIORDEN 

Hordcii  ti'Livclled  again  by  tlic  soutlieni  route. 
The  progress  of  the  Canadian  I'acific  llailway  was 
making  a  change  along  the  lower  part  of  his 
diocese.  Mattawa,  when  last  he  went  that  way  to 
Moose,  consisted  of  three  liouses.  He  now  found 
it  a  flourishing  little  town.  TJut  the  railway  could 
not  carry  him  iiorMi  to  Moose,  and  when  once 
more  in  the  canoe  he  found  the  weight  of  years 
beginning  to  tell  upon  liim.  But  his  spirits  did 
not  fail  him. 

In  his  diary  he  looks  to  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
his  own  people ;  writes  gleefully  of  the  joy  shown 
l)y  a  few  Moose  folk  whom  he  met  as  they 
drew  near  the  settlement ;  then  of  the  little  tumult 
that  ensues  when  the  news  of  his  arrival  is 
announced  by  voice  and  flag  and  bell ;  and,  lastly, 
of  the  service  which  is  almost  at  once  held  in  the 
cl  lurch. 

Progress  had  been  made  in  the  bishop's  absence, 
but  there  were  sore  trials  to  face.  In  the  summer 
of  1883  an  epidemic  of  whooping-cough  broke  out  at 
Moose  and  xVlbany.     At  the  latter  station  forty-four 


MANY  SORROWS 


99 


died  out  of  the  small  community;  at  Moose  the  disease 
was  scarcely  less  fatal.  In  August  a  severe  storm 
did  much  damage  at  Moose,  and  threw  the  more 
gloom  over  the  settlement  because  the  yearly  ship 
was  then  expected.  September  came,  day  succeeding 
day  without  the  expected  arrival.  It  had  been  a 
time  of  great  suffering,  and  the  prospect  of  Christmas 
without  the  supplies  expected  filled  all  with  alarm. 
Medicines  were  exhausted,  candles  were  nearly  all 
gone,  only  half  a  crop  of  potatoes  was  available,  and 
even  clothing  was  getting  scarce.  It  was  not  until 
September  21st  that  the  joyful  cry,  "  The  ship's 
come,"  was  heard. 

The  anxiety  told  so  much  on  Horden,  and  the 
results  of  another  shipwreck  would  have  been 
so  serious,  that  he  resolved  to  lay  hi  a  year's 
supply  of  all  necessaries  for  all  the  stations,  and 
so  to  lessen  the  risk  of  starvation.  The  money 
was  found,   and   their  yearly  dread  was   therefore 


gone. 


But  there  were  more  sorrows  to  meet.     The  year 
1884  was  one  of  much  sickness  and  distress,  which 


If 


lOO 


I   I 


■'! 


JOHN  HORDE N 

had  to  bo  fought  oii  all  aides.  Early  in  the  siiiiimer 
the  bish(jp  made  a  journey  up  the  Moose  to  Long 
Portage  House.  It  was  the  kind  of  work  which  now 
tried  luni — tlie  canoe  journey  hard,  and  the  weather 
cold  for  camping  out.  Yet  he  was  repaid  ]>y  the 
pleasure  of  ministering  to  the  little  group  of  people 
at  the  station.  On  the  journey  out  they  met  in  five 
days  but  one  family.  On  the  return  they  came  upon 
a  small  body  of  Indians.  They  stopped  at  once,  and 
a  service  which  lasted  for  three  hours  was  held.  The 
bishop  went  into  camp  at  half-past  ten,  and  was  up 
and  in  the  canoe  again  at  four. 

In  the  September  of  that  year  he  had  only  just 
returned  from  the  hard  journey,  when  the  news  that 
influenza  was  raging  at  Albany  sent  him  oil'  on 
another  journey  of  100  miles  again. 

And  his  presence  there  was  sorely  needed.  The 
epidemic  threatened  to  sw^eep  off  the  whole  population, 
and  was  especially  fatal  to  the  young  men.  There 
were  five  funerals  in  one  day,  as  many  as  for  the 
most  part  occurred  in  a  year.  "To  aggravate  the 
evil,"  writes  the  bishop,  "  the  weather  was  teiiible; 


A   WELCOME  BISHOP 


101 


for  it  was  raining  almost  every  day,  wliile  suitalile 
food  was  not  o1»tainal>le.  Of  flour,  salt  pork,  and 
salt  geesG  there  was  alnindance,  and  tliey  were 
distributed  with  a  liberal  hand ;  hut  in  the  summer 
there  are  no  birds  in  the  Albany  marshes — no  lish  in 
the  Albany  river;  it  is  always,  as  the  Indians  say, 
Kitcmahim,  tapira  naspich  Utcmahm — 'It  is  poor; 
truly  it  is  very  poor.' " 

Ilorden's  coming  seemed  to  give  all  new  life.  He 
was,  compared  with  them,  in  health,  and  full  of  the 
bright,  cheerful  faith  which  they  had  seen  him  show 
in  times  of  hardship  before.  He  was  here,  there, 
and  everywhere  amongst  them,  distributing  medicine 
and  food ;  comforting  the  dying,  burying  the  dead, 
consoling  the  bereaved ;  setting  the  convalescent  to 
such  tasks  as  they  were  fit  for.  After  five  weeks 
of  such  work  he  w^as  able  to  turn  his  face  home- 
wards, leaving  not  one  Indian  seriously  ill  behind 

him. 

At  Rupert's  House,  too,  sickness  and  death  had 
been  busy.  It  was  one  of  the  brightest  spots  in  the 
land.     The  Indians  had  all  received  the  gospel,  and 


I 


wmm 


iii  i 


Ml'     . 


.'I 


i: 


,t 


|if';i 


i       !l 


'i 


102  /OI/iV  HORDEN 

held  it  faithfully:  tlioy  wero  orderly,  industrious, 
well-t  lo  people ;  sturviition  randy  threatened  their 
litth;  eoinnumity.  ]hit  now  Ilorden  found  every- 
thing changed.  Such  suffering  had  come  upon  them 
as  was  usually  seen  in  less  prosperous  settlements. 

"  Xow,"  wrote  the  bishop  in  his  annual  letter,  "  I 
looked  around  and  inquired,  '  Where  is  this  Indian  ? 
where  that  ?  what  became  of  this  child's  father  ? 
where  is  this  child's  mother  ? ' 

"  And  the  answer  came :  '  lie  died  of  starvation 
four  winters  ago;  he  was  starved  to  death  three 
years  since ;  she  and  all  tlie  rest  of  her  children  were 
cut  off  two  years  ago.' 

" '  And  what  losses  were  sustained  by  you,  last 
winter  ? ' 

"And  I  am  told — four  men,  three  women,  and 
nineteen  children  ;  they  were  all  baptized  Christians." 

Once  in  returning  from  Eupert's  House  the 
bishop  nearly  lost  his  life.  They  were  crossing 
part  of  the  bay  in  a  dog-sleigh,  and  were  nearly 
ten  miles  from  land,  when,  looking  seaward,  they  saw 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE  103 

the  ice  brealdno-  np  hofon^  tlie  li<l«\  nnd  11  stick  struck 
vigorously  upou  tlio  ico  ueiir  them  wcut  thvougli ! 
Thoy   turned    at    once,    happily   reaching    llupert's 

House  in  safety. 

The  next  catastrophe  was  the  wieck  of  the  annual 
ship,  The,  Frrnrcss  lloyal  Happily  for  the  settlers 
it  was  upon  her  return  voyage;  hut  the  crew  were 
for  some  months  prisoners  at  ]\Ioose 

The  autumn  of   1885  was  a  trying  one,  for  the 
weather   turned  warm  when   it   should   liave  been 
cold.     This  was  hard  for  those  who  dwelt  on  Moose 
Island.     "We  can  generally,"  he  wrote,  "cross  the 
main   channel   of  our   river   about   Nov.    10th,    on 
the  ice,  while  this  season  we  could  not  do  so  untd 
a  few  days  since.     This  is  l)y  no  means  to  our  advan- 
tar^e,  as  most  of  onr  firewood  and  a  good  portion  of  our 
food  are  obtainalde  at  a  distance  from  our  island,  to 
which  we  are  confined  until  the  river  is  firmly  frozen ; 
as  it  was,  it  lay  for  weeks  quite  impassable,  witli  too 
nmch  ice  in  it  for  navigation  by  boat  or  canoe,  and 
too  little  for  either  sledge  or  snow-shoe." 

But  amidst  the  anxieties  of  this  time  Hordeii  still 


flp 


li 


■■ 


'II 


II 


:  I 


!i 


104  JOHN  HO R DEN 

had  an  eye  for  the  heauties  of  nature.  In  one  lettt^' 
lie  describes  the  forest  as  converted  into  a  fairyUmd, 
in  a  way  to  whicli  even  his  k)ng  experience  does  not 
seem  to  have  furnished  any  parallel. 

"  A  light  rain  fell  for  several  hours,  and  froze  at 
once  on  touching  the  houses,  trees,  and  buslies;  con- 
sequently the  windward  sides  of  the  liouses  were 
covered  with  innnmerahle  small  icicles,  depending 
from  the  lower  edge  of  the  weatlier  boards;  the 
trees,  and  especially  the  poplars,  were  thickly  coated 
with  ice,  every  branch  being  apparently  encased  in 
transparent  glass ;  while  the  bnshes,  almost  flattened 
to  the  ground  by  their  weight  of  beauty,  presented  a 
most  curious  and  striking  appearance.  Nor  was  this 
all,  for  a  few  days  subsequently  some  very  fine  snow, 
or  rather  perhaps  frozen  mist,  fell  on  the  transpar- 
encies, the  result  being  the  most  fairylike  imaginable; 
and  in  a  walk  in  the  forest  one  would  not  have  been 
at  all  surprised  had  he  met  with  troops  of  elves,  pixies, 
and  fairies,  with  whose  history  we  were  made  so 
well  acquainted  in  the  days  of  our  childhood.     But 


■ 


FAIRYLAND 


105 


tliis  l)eiiuly  Wiis  vory  dostnictivi';  lliu  Itmnclu'S  ol' 
the  treos  could  not  bear  tliis  unacciisloiucd  l)iirduii, 
and  iiiuubcrs  ol'  theui  were  C(jntiiiiuilly  breaking  oil", 
so  that  it  was  somewhat  dangerous  to  walk  undei' 
them,  and  of  the  bushes  many  were  (entirely  destroyed. 
The  birds  and  herbivorous  animals  must  have  sullered 
severely  for  a  time,  as  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
obtain  food  ;  even  the  blades  of  grass  which  appeared 
above  the  snow  were  all  as  thick  as  ropes.  Things 
are  better  now,  although  they  have  not  yet  reached 
their  normal  condition." 


M 


i 


At  the  end  of  the  same  year  the  bishop  made 
another  journey  to  All)any.  His  account,  pulilished 
in  England  in  the  following  April,  is  marked  by  all 
his  old  power  of  picturesque  descri})tion.  It  will 
help  the  reader  to  understand  the  life  which  llorden 
still  found  it  a  joy  to  lead.  The  start  was  made  on 
Dec.  18th,  when,  directly  after  breakfast,  accom- 
panied by  his  faithful  fellow-workers,he  walked  to  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  estalilishment,  whence  they 
were  to  start.     The  sledge  was  already  on  the  river. 


<: 


1 06  /0//.V  HO R DEN 

"  Soon  tlie  clog.s,  twelve  in  number,  and  as  licaiitiful 
creatures  as  were  ever  in  liarness,  were  led  down  tlie 
baidc,  and  each  witli  liis  separate  trail  fastened  to 
tlie  sledge,  whicli  was  iirnily  niooi'cd  to  ]n'cvent  the 
dogs  running  off  with  it  until  rdl  was  ready.  This 
was  soon  elfected ;  I  said  good-1)ye  to  the  many 
friends  assembled  to  see  me  off,  the  dogs  in  the 
meantime  jumping,  liowling,  tugging  at  tlie  sledge 
in  their  eagerness  to  start ;  the  mooring-rope  was  soon 
loosened,  and  a  moment  afterwards  w^e  were  at  the 
gallop,  passing  down  the  riv(u^  in  front  of  the  houses 
standing  on  its  northern  l)ank,  the  inmates  cheering 
us  onward.  At  the  end  of  the  first  half-mile  we 
passed  the  last  house,  and  were  soon  in  the  wilder- 
ness, away  from  the  sight  and  sound  of  everything 
except  ourselves.  For  a  short  time,  while  we  were 
among  the  islands,  the  ice  was  rougli,  occasioned 
by  the  currents  of  the  river  and  the  action  of  the 
tides  in  the  narrow  spaces  between  the  islands,  but 
presently  this  was  at  an  end,  and  the  running 
became  as  snujoth  as  the  most  fastidious  traveller 
could  desire.      The  temperature  was  delightful,  no 


% 


BEHIND  THE  DOGS 


107 


lifiil 
tlio 
to 
tlie 
riiis 
ciny 
the 


wrapping  up  being  required ;  it  was  simply  perfec- 
tion, and  the  mind  felt  a  degree  of  elasticity  to 
which  it  had  long  been  a  stranger.  After  going 
abont  fourteen  miles,  we  came  in  siidit  of  the  ill- 


«i^3,^*^ 


I    I 


IN'    (AMI', 


fated  Princess  lloynl,  lying  about  six  miles  from  tlie 
shore,  and  a  little  farther  on  we  reached  Xortli  lUulf 
Pieacon.  Tliere  we  remained  lialf  an  hour  to  give 
the  dogs  a  little  rest,  and  take  a  little  refreshment 


if 


. 

a  '' ' 

1   ''^ 

ii  ' 

i: 

1  ■  ' 

5 

1 

1  '     ' 

^1 

,      i; 

s 

1      K    l' 

1 

io8 


ill;, 


!  ii  \  IS 


i;  .:    I: 


!h 

1 

, 
: 

i 

1 

i 

1^ 
I    iil' 

I    ii 


iti 


ill    ;:     ;! 

If  ^  '' 

'■'     ^     ii 

/6>//iy  HGRDEN 


ourselves ;  then  on  again ;  the  splendid  dogs,  with 
their  tails  curled  over  their  backs,  required  no  whip 
to  urge  tliem  forward,  but  either  at  full  gallop  or 
fast  trot,  went  on  to  our  tent  at  riskwamisk.  We 
had  done  40  miles  in  little  over  six  hours,  one  of 
tiie  best  and  most  pleasant  travelling  days  I  have 
ever  experienced.  We  soon  made  ourselves  comfort- 
able, and  tlien  saw  to  the  comfort  of  our  hard- 
w^orking  beasts,  removing  their  harness,  and  fastening 
each  with  a  cliain  to  a  separate  tree  stump  to 
prevent  tlieir  indulging  in  a  fight,  giving  eaci  a  bed 
of  pine  brush,  and  then  supplying  him  with  a  good 
supper  of  frozen  white-fish,  which,  having  most 
greedily  devoured,  and  seeing  that  nothing  more 
was  forthcoming,  he  coiled  himself  up  on  his  bed 
with  his  tail  over  his  head,  and  relapsed  into  perfect 
silence  for  the  night. 

"  Tlie  following  morning  the  weather  was  very 
rough,  and  the  atmosphere  so  thick  that  nothing 
seaward  was  visible,  so  we  remained  in  camp,  and 
passed  iiiost  of  the  day  in  reading.  The  weather 
was    not    very    inviting    on    our    third    morning, 


A  PLEASANT  JOURNEY  109 

but   we    had    only    ca    short  stage    before    us    to 

Cocl.    Pomt,  which    it    was  absokitely    necessary 

for   us    to    reach    so    as    to  secure    food    for   our 

dogs.      Four   hours   took   us  there,  and   six   hours 

and   a   half   brought   us  tlie  next  day  to  Albany, 
where  I  found  all  well." 


titiiti 


..M^ 


1  '' 

^^^  ■» 

1 
1 

!'' 

■a 

'1 

H      ■ 

;!  i: 

1,           :'. 
it 

i 

i 

I 

if  ^ 

i 

■  i 

! 

i 

9 

lit      i          .:i 

I: 

''■1 
•1 

^\ 

Ii 

t 

..  i 

1 

i 

i 
j 

1   :; 
i 

■1 

1 
ii 

^^  ?  i 

1 

'1        '" 

1! 

' '  1  '• 

! 

1 

ii 

^.1    1  lii 

i 
\ 

i 

i 
1 

1 

1 1' 


i    li;l. 


CHAPTEK  X 

TO   ENGLAND   FOR   THE   LAST   TIME 

The  Coming  of  Summer— Break-up  of  the  lee— The  Three  Cows 
of  Chnrehill— Eskimo  Dog  Teams— Farewell  Services— A 
Tolyglot  Preacher— III  the  Canoe  Once  More— A  Critical 
Moment— Ilorden  in  England. 


HE  coining  of  the  summer  of  1886 
was  not  without  its  ahirm  and 
danger  for  the  dwellers  at  Moose. 
The  ice  broke  up  earlier  than  had 
ever  been  known  before.  An  Indian  came 
in  on  April  IGth  to  warn  the  settlement  that  the 
ice  was  rotten.  Four  days  later  the  ice  could 
be  seen  some  six  miles  off  to  be  standing  in  high 
mounds.  Big  guns  were  iired  —  the  warning  to 
all  Indians  hunting  at  the  river  mouth.     There  was 

110 


!*l 


I* 


BREAK-  UP  OF  THE  ICE 


111 


no  immediate  change,  but  at  three  the  next  morning 
the  crash   came.     "There  was/'  wrote  the   hisliop 
"  a  roar  as  of  heavy  artillery.     The  ice  broke  right 
across  the  river,  and  began  to  heave  and  plunge,  and 
a  large  body  of  it  moved  jnwards.     A  huge  held  of 
it,  rising  above  the  river's  bank,  rushed  forward  as 
if  it  would  destroy  the  mission  premises,  and  stopping 
but  a  few  feet  from  my  front  gate,  all  became  quiet 
again.     The  river,  packed  with  piled  and  broken  ice- 
blocks  looked  wild  and  threatening,  and  we  anxiously 
waited  to  see  what  the  result  of  future  shores  would 
be.     The  water  ebbed  and  flowed,  and  an  occasional 
movement  took  place,  but  there   was  no  cause  for 
alarm,  until  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  when  the  water 
rose  very  high  and  the  ice  was  borne  forward  with 
great  velocity,  the  field  of  ice  in  front  of  my  house 
being  brought  up  to  our  fence,  and  the  water  lying 
deep  in  my  garden." 

All  that  sunnner  the  bishop  was  l)usy.  There 
were  still  translations  to  be  made  ;  there  were  still 
teachers  to  train;  tliere  was  still  the  ordinary  work 
of  the  evangelist  and  pastor  to  discharge.     Amidst 


r 

1  ■ ' 

.: 

t 

r 

1,:; 


li: 


n 


^:      ill 


!^l  S  i! 

•  li 


\V 


<  r 


r    Jf  , 


; 

: 

1^1 

,  lU  1 

iifj 

1 1 2  /6>//iV^  HORDEN 

it  all  he  finds  time  to  write  long  letters  home  for 
publication,  for  Bishop  Horden  knew  that  the  way 
to  excite  and  keep  alive  an  interest  in  missionary 
enterprise  is  to  tell  people  how  it  is  going, 
and  how  men  fare  in  the  land  where  the  worker 
is.  So  Horden  trained  himself  to  write  almost  as 
fully  of  the  everyday  life  of  his  people  as  of 
the  work  of  grace  which  was  manifest  amongst 
them. 

Thus,  in  one  letter,  he  has  a  long  account  of  Fort 
Churchill,  "  the  last  house  in  the  world,"  i.e.  the 
nearest  to  the  North  Pole.  He  devoted  a  good  deal 
of  space  to  the  three  cows  of  Churchill — valuable 
beasts,  fed  in  winter  chiefly  on  the  white  moss 
beloved  of  the  reindeer.  They  were  a  strange  trio. 
One  was  so  small  as  to  be  almost  a  dwarf.  The 
other  was  "  so  supple,  that  she  required  no  milkmaid 
to  milk  her  ;  she  did  it  herself."  The  third  was  the 
proud  owner  of  an  artificial  tail.  This  distinction 
she  owed  to  an  encounter  with  wolves.  Not  being 
far  from  home,  she  succeeded  in  reaching  a  place  of 
safety  alive.     But  the  wolves  were  not  wholly  un- 


THE   WONDERFUL  TAIL  113 

successful,  for  one  got  near  enougli  to  bite  oil'  the 
fugitive's  tail. 

The  loss  was  serious.  Nowliero  does  a  cow  want 
her  tail  more  than  at  Churchill.  Flies  swarm  there, 
and  without  the  weapon  nature  has  provided  she 
must  die  under  their  attacks.  But  art  came  to  the 
help  of  nature.  Somebody  remembered  that  there 
was  a  dead  cow's  tail  lying  in  the  store.  Happy 
thought !  It  was  brought  out ;  secured  firmly  to  the 
stump  of  the  lost  member,  the  join  neatly  covered 
with  canvas  and  tar ;  and  then  tlic  cow  was  able 
once  more  to  hold  her  own  against  the  flies. 

In  another  letter  he  <4ives  a  lonii;  account  of  the 

dogs  which  play  so  useful  a  part  in  the  life  of  their 

almost  Arctic   settlement.     It  is  suggested  by  the 

unexpected  appearance  at  Moose  of  a  large  body  of 

men  coming  up    the  river,  hauling  a  heavy  sledge 

behind  them.     As  such  work  is  generally  done  by 

dogs,  the  Moose  people  knew  not  what  to  make  of 

the   exhibition,   unless  tlie   arrivals   were  strauGfers 

from    parts    unknown.       They    were,   however,  no 

strangers,   but  neiglibours   froni   All)any,  who   had 
8 


n 


I  = 


111  ii  ) 
\\    'jf'ii-f   1,, 

is 


i;  ''I 


V    '  ih   '4 


n   A 


li'l  i 


;,! 

■ 

=  ii 

i 

i  . 

1 1 4  /0/IN  IIORDEN 

been  compelled  to  harness  themselves  to  their  sledge 
and  come  to  Moose  for  supplies,  as  their  dogs  had 
been  attacked  by  a  fatal  epidemic  which  had  carried 
off  nearly  the  whole  of  them. 

The  bishop  then  describes  the  character  and 
work  of  the  dogs  upon  which  the  settler  has  to  rely 
for  so  much  aid  in  the  hardest  season  of  the  year. 

"  Tliese  dogs,  of  pure  Eskimo  breed,  are  invaluable 
in  winter,  and  large  teams  of  them  are  kept  at 
Albany,  llupert's  House,  AVhale  liiver,  York,  and 
Churchill.  The  Albany  team  was  a  particularly 
fine  one,  great  care  having  been  taken  of  late  years 
in  the  selection  of  animals  for  breeding.  They 
were  well  taken  care  of,  were  very  tractable,  and 
the  pride  of  their  famous  driver,  Harvey,  who  loved 
them  almost  as  much  as  he  does  his  children, 
and  treated  them  most  mercifully,  an  undeserved 
blow  being  never  inflicted,  and  who,  when  on  a 
journey,  saw  that  every  evening  they  were  well 
fed,  and,  what  is  equally  necessary,  well  bedded. 
In  summer  they  do  nothing,  and  are  then  voted  a 


HUNTING  J>Ei;it. 


n  ffsii 


i 


I 


I   D 


•>i    i! 


,S  !   'I  . 


i  i  !|ii 


P    ;M. 


11    •■ 


■  'u  I  ill' 


i  w  , 


BUSY  DOGS 


^t^ 


great  nuisance,  as  they  are  very  danj^a-rous  to  tlie 
calves,  and  require  to  be  heavily  l)locked,  whicli 
by  no  means  imi)roves  their  temper,  and  ;,nves 
them  a  sadly  hangdog  look.  In  winter  they  do 
no  work  at  All>any  itself,  but  the  wliole  season 
l)ly  betwec)'  Moose  and  Albany,  1  (ringing  from  there 
quantities  of  provisions,  and  taking  back  sledge- 
loads  of  dry  goods.  The  IJupert's  House  team 
is  used  in  a  similar  manner ;  Moose,  from  the 
large  number  of  inhabitants,  receiving  all  the  ibod 
the  neighbouring  posts  can  spare,  and  being  the 
depot  of  the  country,  supplying  all  the  goods 
required  for  use  and  trade.  At  AVhale  liiver, 
where  no  cattle  are  kept,  dogs  haul  all  the  lire- 
wood  consumed  at  the  station,  and  as  the  wood 
is  cut  seven  miles  distant  from  the  place,  and  tlie 
consumption  is  very  great,  they  are  kept  ^■ery 
busy,  and  I  think  work  much  liarrhn'  tlian  at  tlie 
more  southern  stations.  A  very  large  team,  or 
indeed  several  teams,  are  kept  at  York  Factory, 
and  are  employed  in  hauling  venison,  the  principal 
food  of  the  station,  from  the  various  places  where 


'          i  :i 

1 

1^ 

'^ 


•J'  li 


:'     I 


in 
mi 


I'll"' 


iiS 


/OJ/N  nORDEN 


tlio  lnniti'is  liiivo  sucrcuded  in  l<illin''  it.  The 
Cliurcliill  tc'jini,  too,  is  a  spleiulid  one,  and  tlie 
princijml  driver,  Oeur^^fe  Oman,  is  almost  as  excellent 
in  his  way  as  Harvey  of  Albany.  I  have  seen  these 
dogs  as  playful  and  gentle  as  kittens,  and  as  fierce 
and  cruel  as  a  pack  of  wolves ;  .sometimes  tlu^y  are 
l)laying  with  and  fondling  each  otlicr  and  persons 
of  tlieir  ac(piaintance,  although  there  is  perhaps  less 
personal  attachment  in  the  Eskimo  dog  than  in  any 
other  ;  and,  again,  I  have  seen  dogs  lying  dead,  killed 
by  their  companions  in  their  terril)le  battles.  As 
a  rule,  they  are  not  dangerous  to  people,  but  they  do 
occasionally  attack  them,  and  commit  great  outrages." 

The  time  was  now  coming  for  the  bishop  to 
make  his  last  visit  to  England.  Mrs.  Ilorden  had 
remained  before  when  the  bishop  sailed  for  Moosonee 
in  1882,  and  the  separation  had  now  ])een  a  long  one. 
Yet,  if  Mrs.  Horden  was  in  England,  he  had  blood- 
ties  with  Moosonee,  and  to  him  that  still  was  home. 

It  was  on  the  last  day  of  May  1888  that  he  began 
the    long    journey.       The    preceding   Sunday    was 


FARE  WELL  SER  [  ICES 


irr; 


iiuirked  by  u  gciienil  suleninily  on  all  sidus,  lor,  as 
ho  wrote,  "  every  one  at  Moose  is  to  me  us  a  son  or 
a  dauglitor." 

Tlie  first  gathering  of  tlie  day  was  an  English 
serviee,  at  wliich  the  congregation  nnnibereil  200, 
although  only  six  were  Europeans.  Tliero  were 
forty  comniuuicants,  and  the  oii'ertory  was  ,£o5. 
Mr.  Eichards  was  ordained,  and,  as  the  bisho]) 
afterwards  told  an  English  audience,  his  aceoniplish- 
nients  were  many  and  varied.  He  could  preach 
"a  very  good  sermon"  in  English,  and  a  "very 
good  sermon  "  in  Cree,  and  a  "  very  tolerable  sermon  " 
in  Ojibbeway,  besides  making  himself  understood  in 
Eskimo.  In  addition  he  could  "paddle  his  own 
canoe  "  with  the  best  of  them — a  useful  accomplish- 
ment in  a  land  where  the  bishop  himself  had  been 
clergyman,  doctor,  blacksmith,  and  schoolmaster. 

But  to  return  to  the  service.  That  over,  there 
was  one  for  the  Indians  at  7  A.M.,  to  which  they 
brought  their  own  liible  and  prayer-books,  bought 
with  their  own  money.  At  l.oO  the  Sunday  school 
besan.     At  3.30  the  cathedral  was  again  crowded. 


i 


\i 


I  i 
I  ' 
I'    ! 

i! 

I    I! 

I;. 
i  ^ 


f\ 


i  '^1 


I''! 


i  :     ,1 


i   i1. 


Vl 


120  /OI/N  HORDEN 

Every  person  present  was  baptized,  and  every  adult 
had  been  eonfirnied.  The  collection  was  £20.  So 
ended  the  public  services  of  a  busy  and  a  heart- 
moving  day. 

At  last  the  hour  of  parting  came,  and  from  his 
place  in  the  canoe,  the  bisliop  gave  "  a  fatlierly 
blessing- "  to  the  crowd  leathered  on  the  shore.  His 
daughter  and  her  children  went  a  day's  journey  with 
the  party,  and  a  young  grandson  accompanied  the 
bishop  as  far  as  Canada.  At  night  they  encamped 
by  the  river  ])ank  ;  supper  was  cooked  by  a  roaring 
fire,  and  "  a  very  solemn  service  closed  the  day." 

The  next  day  saw  more  farewells,  and  then  the 
journey  began  in  earnest. 

It  was  not  without  its  perils,  as  the  canoe  was 
poled  or  tracked  up  the  river.  At  times  they  Jiad  to 
land,  and  feel  tiieir  way  as  best  they  could  through 
the  pathless  woods.  Once  they  were  face  to  face 
with  a  sudden  death.  "  We  had  ascended  a  terrible 
and  long  rapid,  and  had  got  by  the  easiest  side  of  the 
stream  just  opposite  the  foot  of  our  longest  portage, 
but  between  us  and  it  ran  the  .swollen  and  liercely 


!)■' 


i  A 


> 
■f. 


r-* 


121 


l! 


ir   1.    '  ' 
■'■    I',     ',: 

Mlf:^  %  In 
l!' 

i'i 


■]■ 


I 


'il'    i'      I'' 


i 

i 

i 

J! 

■i 

:  ■'     ,; 

'.c  v;h 


il 


^li 


r  J'  h 


I 


A  CRITICAL  MOMENT  123 

flowing  river.  We  all  grasped  a  paddle  firrdy,  and, 
bending  with  our  full  strength,  daslied  out  into  the 
stream ;  we  could  get  no  farther,  and  were  swept 
down  like  lightning  into  the  boiling  rapid.  The 
sight  was  the  most  dangerous  I  had  ever  witnessed ; 
but  the  men  were  equal  to  the  emergency.  Turning 
round  in  the  canoe,  the  bow  became  the  stern,  and 
we  were  kept  clear  of  the  rocks  which  threatened 
our  destruction." 

The  vo3^age  to  Canada  was  made  without  mishap, 
and  soon  the  bishop  was  once  more  in  England.  It 
was  not  a  time  of  idleness,  or  even  of  rest.  There 
was  much  yet  to  be  done  in  making  known  the  work, 
and  in  pleading  for  tlie  means  to  still  furtlier 
extend  it.  At  the  Church  Missionary  Society  anni- 
versary of  1889  the  bishop  was  a  conspicuous  tiguie. 
lie  was  warmly  greeted,  when,  with  otlier  bishops, 
he  appeared  on  the  platform  at  Exeter  Hall  in  the 
morning,  and  in  the  evening  he  took  the  chair. 

Eew  who  heard  that  speech  will  forget  the  ^'eteran 
who  made  it.  He  had  come,  he  told  the  vast 
audience,  from  the  great  Lone  Land,  where  he  had 


i 


Hi 

ii     !     li 


t  I 


!';  i! 


\n 


iih  f 


i  ii 


n'^ 


Sl 


Ii  1  i 


I 


1'  « 


K- 


111  |. 


w: 


:  I  iii' 


1 24  /^ZW  HORDEN 

spent  thirty-eiglit  years  of  his  life.  He  showed 
them,  in  a  graphic  anecdote,  the  old  condition  of  the 
Indians  there.  Then,  by  way  of  contrast,  he  took 
them  back  to  that  last  Sunday  in  his  diocese,  already 
described.  In  a  few  days  the  bishop  said  farewell 
once  more  to  his  friends  in  Enojland.  He  had 
turned  his  back  upon  the  old  scenes  he  was  never  to 
look  on  again. 


CHAPTER  XI 


HOME   AGAIN 

Last  Visits  to  Outlying  Stations— An  Eskimo  Congregation-  Tlie 
Disabilities  of  Old  Age— Still  an  Active  IJisliop— A  Sunday 
at  "Whale  River. 


ISHOP   HOPtDEN"  travelled  again  by 
way  of  Canada,  and  it  was  like  Horden 
that,   npon   the   railway   car   in   the 
journey  westward,  he  lectured  every 
day  to  the  people. 

He  went  first  to  the  north-west  of  his  diocese, 
visiting  Oxford  House,  and  then  going  on  to  York 
Factory.  "  A  pleasant  week's  journey,"  he  called  it, 
although  few  Europeans  at  his  age  would  find  it  so. 
From  York  Factory  he  went  on  by  boat  to  Churchill. 

123 


m 


:i 


r  ii! 


>y  ¥ 


I     11    . 


•! 

I 

^■15 

■t; 

|i 

t 
1 

■  H 

]■ 

i     i  ^ 

1 2  6  /(^i^TV^  HORDEN 

The  weather  was  beautiful  and  briglit  every  day,  Ijut 
the  nights  were  very  cold,  and  the  sleeping  out  in 
the  open  boat  was,  in  the  bishop's  words, "  not  always 
comfortable  ;  but,"  he  adds,  "  that  mattered  littls,  as 


CREE  CHur.cn 

AT 
YORK  FACTORY, 


long  as  we  were  proceeding."  In  five  days  they 
were  sailing  up  the  Great  Churchill  River,  and 
landing  at  the  utmost  limit  of  civilisation.  The 
place  was  full,  and  the  people  were  just  as  busy  as 
the    myriads    of    mosquitoes,  which    in    the   short 


DEATHS  BY  HUNGER 


127 


summer  help  to  make  life  hard  for  man  and  beast. 
After  a  few  days  he  returned  to  York,  and  thence 
went  on  by  schooner  to  Moose. 

It  was  dark  when  Ilordcn  landed,  after  his  last 
absence,  amongst  his  people ;  but  they  were  on  the 
beach  in  crowds  to  meet  him.  Hero  he  was  "  really 
at  home  "  and  "  felt  so  overjoyed  and  so  thankful." 
From  Moose  he  went  on  to  liupert's  House.  Here 
Christmas  and  the  spring  were  spent.  It  was  a  time 
of  trial  for  the  natives,  for  the  liarvest  of  geese  very 
largely  failed  them,  and  there  was  much  suffering. 
The  goose  liarvest  was  always  important. 

"  When,"  the  bishop  wrote,  "  would  the  first  goose 
be  killed  ?  Who  would  be  lucky  enoiigli  to  kill  it  ? 
Geese  stands  were  made  at  intervals  of  about  half 
a  mile  all  down  the  river.  Decoy  geese  were  in 
abundance,  but  the  real  geese  were  very  shy.  They 
rewarded  the  hunters'  patience  and  skill  but 
moderately ;  but,  in  the  poor  times  we  were  experi- 
encing, every  single  goose  was  a  prize,  and  often  a 
hunter  sat  in  his  stand  two  or  three  days  without 
securing  one.     Kupert's  House  is  not  noted  for  L;eese, 


I 


!! 


3.-1 
if    . 

Si 


.  1 

J-    ■ 

1 

'Hi 


:  w 


128  JOHN  HORDEN 

the  marshes  being  very  limited  in  extent ;  and  this 
year  the  birds  can  find  no  food,  in  consequence  of 
the  great  depth  of  snow,  and  on  certain  spots  hun- 
dreds were  found  frozen,  starved  to  death." 

The  results  wore  often  of  the  saddest.     When  the 
bands  of  Indians  came  in       "t"       from     outlying 


districts   there  were  gaps 
Eighteen  had  perished  in 

As  summer  came 
out  once  more 
travels,  this 
north.  He 
Main  Eiver, 
stered  to  a 
Indians  who 
saw  a  clergy- 


f'HUUCII    AT   FORT    GEORGE. 


in  tlieir  ranks. 

one  party. 

the  bishop  set 
upon  his 
time  to  the 
visited  East 
and  mini- 
group  of 
very  rarely 
man.     Then 


he  went  on  to  Fort  George,  and  tlien  still  farther  north 
to  the  Great  Whale  Eiver.  It  was  a  wonderful  proof 
of  the  thorough  way  in  which  those  desolate  lands 
had  been  evangelised  that,  as  they  journeyed  along 
the  coast  of  the  bay  they  came  one  morning  upon  a 
body  of  Eskimo  who  were  brethren.      The  bishop 


»g 


CHRISTMAS  AT  MOOSE  ,  29 

was  amongst  thein  at  once,  and  heard  tliem  all  rccid 
from  their  books.  Only  one  of  the  flock,  a  woman, 
was  at  all  deficient.  For  her  they  made  apologies ; 
she  had  only  just  got  her  books;  but  they  were 
teaching  her  every  day.  Horden's  heart  had  long 
yearned  over  the  Eskimo,  and  few  things  mive  him 
more  joy  than  their  earnest  attention. 

That  Christmas  was  spent  at  ]\Ioose.  The  school 
children  were  well  thouglit  of,  for  the  bishop 
provided  the  nearest  possible  approach  to  such  a 
''treat"  as  many  enjoy  at  home  in  England.  Tlie  tea 
was  there  and  cake  too,  and  a  Christmas  tree  filled. 

The  following  summer  proved  a  sickly  one.  In- 
fluenza again  broke  out,  and  at  Ilupert's  House  the 
bishop  had  once  more  to  be  doctor,  nurse,  and  pastor. 
He  himself  fell  ill,  and  regained  his  strength  but 
slowly. 

August  brought  an  important  visitor  to  Moose.  Hor- 
den  had  for  some  time  felt  that  increasing  years  and 
declining  strength  made  it  desirable  for  him  to  place 
the  work  in  the  hands  of  some  younger  man.  In 
the  Eev.  J.  A.  Newnham — now  Bishop  of  Moosonee 


1 
1!  il 

'    1 

,    11  '' 

I 

'  '1' 

;r  ! 

i:  i^ 

1  II 
1 

1    [ 

■  1!  ! 

■j 

j            1 

II     ' 

'M  (  t 

■t; 

I  ill  W' 


ill,!     I' 


i 


r^r 


ni 


■i     :i 


:r.  !  : 


)   ■  .  ■ 

i  ,]  ■ 

\  '1 

1     ' 

',; 

V-' 

1:. 

■  ^\  .' 

■■  i  i 

i 

i  ii| 

Lli  ' 

hii 

1 30  /0/nV  HORDEN 

— he  believed  that  he  had  been  directed  to  the  right 
person.  He  was  happy  in  this  tliought,  Ijiit  deferred 
his  own  return  to  England  in  order  that  he  might 
see  his  future  successor  instructed  in  the  work,  and 
also  that  he  might  complete  the  translation  of  tlie 
Bible  into  Cree. 

Christmas  was  spent  at  Albany  witli  Archdeacon 
Vincent.  It  is  a  tiring  journey.  His  first  visit  there 
had  been  made  just  forty  years  before.  "  I  was  then," 
he  wrote,  "  young  and  active,  and  thouglit  nothing  of 
hardship;  I  could  sleep  in  the  open,  bivouac  with 
the  cold  bright  sky  overhead,  with  the  thermometer 
40  degrees  below  zero."  But  those  days  were  gone 
for  ever.  "  They  tell  me,"  he  regretfully  adds,  "  that, 
for  the  future,  winter  travelling  must  not  be  indulged 
in."  And  then  he  adds :  "  We  must  bow  to  the 
inevitable ;  we  cannot  always  be  young ;  the  halting 
step  and  the  grey  head  will  come,  and  why  should 
we  dread  their  approach,  when  we  know  that  '  if  the 
earthly  house  of  our  tabernacle  be  dissolved,  we 
have  a  building  from  God,  a  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens '  ? " 


the 


CREE  TRANS  LA  TfON  FINISHED       1 3  r 

It  was  a  cruel  winter  tliougli  a  mild  one,  for  the 
tlreci(l(>d  influenza  was  again  amongst  the  })eo[)le. 

In  the  following  May,  the  bishop  was  able  to 
reach  the  last  words  of  his  translation  of  the  liilili! 
into  Cree.  Ho  still  hoped  to  give  it  complete  and 
most  careful  revision,  and  tins  was  now  never  lon<f 
out  of  his  thoughts. 

Yet  at  this  time  he  could  still  visit  his  distant 
flocks.  One  of  his  last  long  journeys  was  to  Wliale 
Kiver.  The  account  of  his  visit  ofiers  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  change  which  the  acceptance  of 
the  gospel  makes  in  the  native  life.  He  was  eagerly 
welcomed,  and  at  once  plunged  into  work.  Here  is 
the  list  of  the  Sunday  engagements  :— 

The  first  service  was  at  G.30  in  the  morning ;  that 
was  for  the  Indians.  All  were  present,  some  being 
men  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  years.  Service  over, 
there  was  breakfast.  After  breakfast,  the  first 
business  was  a  service  for  the  Eskimo.  Now  they 
were  not  reluctant.  "You  see  before  you,"  wrote 
Horden,  "a  goodly  number  of  clean,  intelligent - 
looking  people,  short  and  stout ;  you  see  that  they 


1 

It 

! 

t 

',  1             ''' 

i 

1             1 

i 

h 

i, 

i 

Iih3 


ill 


1 3  2  /(^/fiV  HORDEN 

liave  l)ooks  in  their  luiiuls,  diul  iioticu  that  they 
readily  find  out  the  places  reiiuired  ;  they  siiii,'  very 
nicely."  This  is  not  by  any  means  the  popular  view 
of  the  Eskimo,  and  the  change  which  has  lirought 
this  about  must  be  a  very  real  one. 

The  Eskimo  dismissed,  it  was  time  fur  dinner ;  nnd 
dinner  over,  a  second  Indian  service  was  held.  This 
must  have  been  rather  a  group  of  services  than  ore 
service,  for  the  bishop  married  four  couples  and 
baptized  twelve  children.  In  scattered  connuunities 
of  this  kind,  people  must  be  ready  for  services  of 
such  a  nature  just  as  the  opportunity  may  occur. 
But  it  is  possible  that  these  Indian  brides  were  not 
troubled  by  the  necessity  of  preparing  elaborate 
trousseaux,  so  that  merely  a  few  hours'  notice  of 
the  ceremony  would  not  occasion  them  any  great 
alarm. 

These  services  over,  the  bishop  had  a  little  leisure 
— time  indeed  for  a  short  walk  in  the  fresh  air ;  a 
welcome  release  after  breathing  an  atmosphere  which, 
in  his  own  patient  way,  he  merely  describes  as  "  a 
little    close."     After    the   walk,  tea ;    not    a  very 


A  BUSY  DAY 


^U 


sump;  lous  repast  for  a  bishop,  but  welcome  enough. 
On  tlio  table  were  tea,  preserved  milk,  sugar,  bread, 
and,  instead  of  butter,  marrow  fat. 

After  tea  came  yet  another  service,  this  tinu'  in 
English.  Those  English  services,  the  mention  of 
which  so  often  occurs  in  Horden's  letters,  are  a 
useful  reminder  of  one  side  of  missionary  work  too 
rarely  remembered.  Tn  tlie  desolate,  spnr.sely-peo])led 
lands  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory,  and  in  many 
other  parts  of  the  world,  there  are  English-speakhig 
people  who  owe  their  only  opportunities  of  joining 
in  divine  service  to  the  missionaries.  Terhaps  only 
those  who  have  been  for  months  at  a  time  cut  oil' 
from  all  such  advantages  can  understand  the  joy  of 
once  more  realising  the  pleasure  of  connnon  worship, 
though  no  more  than  "two  or  three  are  gathered 
together  "  in  the  name  of  Christ. 

After  the  English  service  came  "  a  little  con- 
versation," and  then  bed.  At  six  the  next  niorninir 
Horden  was  again  at  work,  taking  a  final  service 
before  bidding  good-bye  to  the  people  whose  faces 
he  could  never  hope  to  see  again. 


i 


CHAPTER  XTI 


'i|i^  ff 


CLOSING   SCENES 

Translational  "Work— A  Sudden  Blow— "  He  has  been  Very, 
A'ery  Good  " — Death — Memorials. 

N  the  autumn  of  that  year  Horden  was 
busy  upon  his  translations,  when  he 
was  struck  down  with  rheumatism. 
He  described  the  attack  thus,  in  a 

letter  to  myself,  dated  from  bis  "  sick  chamber,"  just 

a  week  before  his  death  : — 


"  My  translational  work  I  divided  into  two  por- 
tions; in  the  morning  of  almost  every  day  I  was 
engaged  on  the  revision  of  my  Cree  New  Testament, 
while   every    afternoon    my   much    valued    Indian 

134 


I 


-^r. 


STRUCK  DOWN 


135 


assistant  sat  with  me  in  my  stud} ,  when  we  carefully 
examined  all  my  last  winter's  translations  from 
Joshua  to  Esther.  This  is  now  all  ])ut  completed, 
and  will,  E  hope,  be  entirely  so  long  before  this  letter 
leaves  Moose. 

"  I  continued  on  my  Xew  Testament  work  until 
November  21,  when  my  pen  dropped  from  my  hand, 
and  I  have  not  since  touclied  it.  I  had  completed 
the  Gospels  of  St.  ^Matthew  and  St.  Mark,  and  eleven 
chapters  of  St.  Luke.  On  the  preceding  day  I  had 
felt  perfectly  well ;  I  had  preached  at  the  English 
service  from  Malachi  iii.  14,  17.  I  had  taken  my 
large  class  at  the  Indian  school,  and  had  tlien 
preached  at  the  Indian  service  from  Jeremiah 
xxiii.  5,  on  a  greater  deliverance  than  that  from 
Egypt. 

"  On  Monday  I  arose  quite  well  and  strong  before 
it  was  light,  and  at  a  quarter  past  seven  sat  down  to 
write,  beginning  tlie  twelfth  chapter  of  St.  Luke.  I 
worked  on  steadily  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  I 
i-eceived  what  seemed  to  me  a  terrible  blow  on  the 
lower  part  of   my  back.     I  thought  it  a  stroke  of 


III. 


'  ii  - 


m :  I 


■I  .      V' 


i]' 


■  I 

5. 


1;  I 


136  yOUJV  HORDEN 

rheumatism,  and  supposed  its  effects  would  pass  off 
in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes,  but  in  this  I  was 
disappointed :  blow  succeeded  blow,  until  I  could 
scarcely  move. 

"  I  sat  up,  however,  until  after  prayers  and  break- 
fast, when  1  was  conducted  to  my  bed-chamber, 
and  put  to  bed.  Almost  directly  an  automatic 
torture-machine  of  the  finest  temper  and  of  the 
most  exquisite  sensitiveness  established  itself  near 
my  left  hip,  and,  at  my  every  movement,  set 
to  work  with  horrible  intensity  and  regularity. 
What  I  suffered  it  is  impossible  to  describe,  and, 
even  if  I  could  describe  it,  it  would  not  be  under- 
stood by  those  who  have  not  passed  through  a 
similar  ordeal. 

"  Eheumatism  and  myself  had  been  companions 
for  many  years,  as  was  to  be  expected  from  the 
great  exposure  to  which  I  have  been  subjected, 
in  my  summer  and  winter  journeys  througli  the 
mighty  diocese  of  Moosonee,  with  the  thermome- 
ter varying  from  100  degrees  in  the  shade  to  50 
degrees  below  zero.     I  had  suffered  in   back,   legs. 


r 


\ 


PAIN  AND  PEA  CE  137 

feet;  I  had  been  so  bad  occasionally  that  I  couLl  not 
walk  down  over  the  stairs,  and  wlien  assaulted  by 
my  unpleasant  companion  out  of  doors  I  have  been 
often  obliged  to  exercise  my  strongest  force  of  will 
to  prevent  myself  from  being  thrown  down  in  tlie 
snowy  road. 

"  All  these  things  I  did  not  nund  much ;  I  could 
bear  pain ;  and  they  did  not  interfere  materi- 
ally  with  my  work,  and  as  long  as  that  cijuld  go 
on  I  was  content.  Ikit  it  was  a  different  thin" 
now.  With  increased  pain  came  inability  to  work, 
and  for  a  week  I  lay  almost  unfit  for  anything.  I 
seemed  for  a  while  to  make  progress  towards  re- 
covery, and,  three  weeks  after  the  attack,  was  able 
to  walk  from  my  bedroom  to  my  study  with  a  little 
assistance ;  then  a  relapse  occurred,  and  I  scarcely 
have  been  out  of  bed  since,  and  when  T  shall  again 
God  alone  knows. 

"  But  He  has  been  very,  very  good ;  He  has 
kept  me  in  peace ;  He  has  kept  me  in  fairly  good 
bodily  health,  and  endued  me  with  as  much  cheer- 
fulness as  I  ever  had  possessed.     Our  young  medical 


i  ! 


I'  k 


h      t 


1 3  8  /OBJV  HORDEN 

man  has  been  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  for  my 
recovery;  he  has  rubbed  and  kneaded  me;  he  has 
mustard-plastered  and  blistered  me,  until  the  whole 
of  my  left  leg  bears  testimony  to  the  constancy  of 
his  attentions.  I  was  to  have  gone  to  Winnipeg 
in  the  coming  summer,  and  then  to  have  returned 
finally  to  England  after  my  long  service.  At  present 
I  see  no  probability  of  my  being  able  to  take  that 
journey,  as,  before  arriving  at  the  railroad,  there  is 
more  than  a  fortnight's  hard  work  up  one  large 
river,  which  is  impeded  by  many  rapids  and  falls, 
necessitating  frequent  porteraging,  which  is  utterly 
beyond  my  present  powers.  I  suppose  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  return  home  by  the  annual  ship,  but  I 
dread  this  much,  as  there  is  no  accommodation  on 
board,  and  especially  for  one  in  my  condition.  I 
know  that  every  effort  will  be  made,  were  I  obliged 
to  return  home  this  way,  to  make  me  as  comfortable 
as  circumstances  permit,  for  I  meet  with  nothing  but 
the  greatest  kindness  from  everyone  connected  with 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  I  need  not  trouble 
myself  much  about  this  ;  I  can  trust  all  to  the  hand 


! 


^» 


ir 


THE  END 


139 


of   God ;  He    will  provide   that   which   He    deems 
sufficient  for  my  case." 

This  letter  was  never  finished.  The  following 
postscript  was  appended  by  j\Irs.  Broughton  : — 

Jan.  2Uh.  —  "  Since  the  above  was  written,  my 
dear  father,  the  Bishop  of  Moosonee,  has  passed 
away ;  he  died  quite  unexpectedly  on  the  morning 
of  January  12th.  C.  S.  Bkougiiton." 


I- 


In  a  subse(pient  letter,  Mr.,  now  Bishop,  Nownham 
described  the  bishop's  end.  Early  in  January  he 
had  felt  better,  but  in  the  second  week  of  the 
month  signs  of  weakness  began  to  sliow  themselves, 
and  the  doctor  grew  anxious.  On  the  night  of 
January  11th,  all  save  the  doctor  went  to  bed, 
hoping  to  find  the  patient  better  in  the  morning. 
The  doctor  sat  up  till  one  a.m.,  and  returned  at  five. 
By  eight  o'clock  the  bishop  was  so  weak  that  his 
daughter  and  son-in-law  were  called  into  the  ro(jm ; 
but  almost  before  they  readied  him  he  had  passed 
away,  from  failure  of  the  heart's  action. 


1'?' 


I40  JOHN  HORDEN 

As  he  lay  in  his  coffin,  the  people,  j^oung  and 
old,  came  to  take  one  last  look  at  him  that  had 
dwelt  in  the  place  for  forty  years.  The  final 
scene  of  all  is  thus  described  by  a  young  Indian, 
whom  the  bishop  had  for  some  years  been  teaching : — 

''Saturday,  Jan.  21s^.— We  had  the  funeral.  The 
coffin  was  closed  in  the  presence  of  four  clergy.  It 
was  a  lovely  afternoon,  almost  spring-like,  when 
the  beautiful  Burial  Service  was  read,  and  the  first 
Bishop  of  Moosonee's  body  was  committed  to  the 
grave  before  his  bereaved  people.  The  whole  adult 
population  went  to  the  church  and  to  the  grave. 
There  he  was  laid  amongst  his  flock,  as  he  had  said 
he  wished  to  be.  While  still  lying  in  the  church, 
young  and  old  came  to  take  the  last  fiirewell  of  the 
face  they  loved  so  well,  and  who  went  in  and  out 
of  their  homes,  over  forty  years,  as  a  missionary, 
pastor,  friend,  and  bishop." 


Horden's  grave  is  beside  that  of  a  daughter  and 


a  grandson. 


i  ? 


{ 


''FAITHFUL  UNTO  DEATH'' 


141 


I. 


i. 


So  ended  a  work  of  forty-two  years  in  a  land 
of  many  hardsliips,  yet  also  of  many  triumphs. 
Horden's  successor  found  the  diocese  i\dly  organised 
— one  native  clergyman,  and  twenty-six  native  lay 
teachers  at  work,  and  nearly  3G00  baptized  native 
Christians;  the  Bible  in  tlie  liands  of  tlio  people, 
and  other  literature  also.  And  the  work,  under 
God,  was  mainly  Horden's. 

In  the  Cathedral  of  Exeter,  tlie  town  of  Horden's 
birth,  Ji  monument  has  been  raised  to  the  memory  of 
their  townsman.  Anotlier  is  found  in  the  wall 
of  the  school  under  wlioso  roof  he  first  resolved  to 
be  a  missionary.  A  simple  statement  of  tlie  main 
facts  of  his  life  is  there  followed  liy  this  short  text, 
which  aptly  describes  his  career — 


THE   END. 


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